Kingdom Hearts: One-Shot Series
by Curryfury13
Summary: A series of one-shots based off of my two fan-fics, 'True Friends' and 'Third Beginning'. Some of the shots will be things I was not able to cover in the stories and others will be prompts given by readers.
1. Portals in Twilight Town

**Portals in Twilight Town**

 **Set in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days**

 **Idea Given By: Spirit of Writing**

The obnoxious sound of the blaring alarm cut through Hinata's pleasant dreams as she lay fast-asleep in her bed. Groaning at the sound, she rustled the covers and nuzzled into her pillow in an attempt to block out the noise. It was futile as the repetitive beeping continued, causing her to get more irritable by the second.

"Riku," She mumbled sleepily, "Turn that thing off…" When no one responded she patted her hand in front of her hoping to awaken Riku, but instead her palm landed on the plush mattress. "Riku?" She repeated, finally opening her eyes, only to be greeted by blinding sunlight beaming into the room from a nearby window. Once her sight adjusted, she realized that she was alone in the bed.

Reluctantly sitting up, she rubbed her golden eyes and looked around the old bedroom. Books were stacked around the room and piled on top of a dusty desk that was on the opposite side of the double bed. Once sitting up, she reached her hand forward and whacked the top of the annoying alarm clock placed on a small bedside table.

"I was wondering when you were going to shut that off." A young man's voice caught Hinata's attention once the noise had finally subsided.

Hinata whipped her head around towards the open bedroom door to see a tall man, wearing a long black trench coat, enter the room. "There you are, Riku." She sighed, lying back down. "What are you doing up already?"

Riku pushed a few strands of his long blueish hair out of his face before motioning his head to the hall outside the bedroom. "DIZ needed help with something." He walked forward and sat on the edge of the bed next to the girl, before glancing at the digital clock on the table. "And what do you mean, 'already'? It's almost nine."

"Yeah, well we didn't get back from the mission until late last night. Excuse me for being exhausted." She muttered, pulling the blue covers up to her chin.

Riku chuckled, "Come on Hinata, we've got things to do today."

"We just got back from a mission." Hinata complained, "I thought DIZ wanted to make sure we were well rested between those jobs he sends us on."

"He does," He told her, "That's why I thought it might be nice for us to take the day to spend time together." He noticed Hinata peek an eye of interest at his words as a small smile appeared on her face. "I was thinking we could take the train to Sunset Terrence…" He stood from the bed with a sigh, "But if you'd rather waste the day away in bed I guess that's fine too." Crossing his arms, he shook his head and began to leave the room. "I guess I could always just go hang out with Namine instead."

"No, wait!" Hinata stopped him, half-sitting up. "Alright fine, I'll get up. Just give me fifteen minutes."

Riku turned around and smirked. "Glad you changed your mind."

"Yeah, yeah." She grumbled, lying back down.

"Hey, wait," Riku objected, hurriedly walking back to the bed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I said fifteen minutes." Hinata reminded him, her voice muffled as she buried her face in her pillow. "Five more minutes to sleep and then ten to get ready."

"No way," Riku laughed, grabbing her fluffy comforter. "You get comfortable again and I'll never get you out of bed." Without waiting for her response, he yanked the blanket completely off the mattress.

Hinata yelped as the cold air pounced on her bare legs and swiftly brought her knees to her chest. "You're cruel!" She cried with a small laugh breaking out as the words left her mouth.

"Yeah," Riku chuckled, tossing the blanket to the floor. "Now come on, I don't want to miss the train."

Stretching her stiff muscles, Hinata yawned and then pointed out. "The train runs all day."

"I know," Riku told her, reaching for her hand and pulling her up to stand. Once she was in front of him, he leaned forward but was softly pushed back by Hinata.

"Nu-uh," She shook her head, pulling away and making her way towards the bathroom. "No way you're getting a good-morning kiss."

"What?" he objected, "Why?"

"You'll just have to wait until I'm ready." She smirked; closing the door to the bathroom behind her once she was inside.

Riku shook his head with a smile while Hinata left to get ready. He turned and looked out the large multi-paned window. They were on the second floor of an old mansion in the middle of a dense forest. Beyond the trees, Riku could see billows of smoke rising from the train as it rode through Twilight Town. He stood there lost in thought until Hinata had finished.

"Alright, I'm ready." She chimed, opening the door and reentering the room.

Riku turned to look at her and smiled. Within a matter of minutes she had gone from the black shorts and tank top to a maroon vest and dark green pants tucked into her brown boots. She combed through her short red hair with her fingers as she walked up to Riku and pecked him on the cheek.

"Let's get going." She said smiling, interlacing her fingers in his.

"Yeah," He tightened his hand around hers and led the way.

Leaving the bedroom, they walked through the long misshapen walls that had begun to decay from being unkempt. It wasn't he loveliest of places to call home, but it was a place to stay. Pushing open a jammed door, they entered the main foyer. The floor was tiled with a light brown, contrasting the darker walls. Walking forward, they went down the flight of stairs and headed towards the exit.

"And where do you think you're going?" A deep voice asked behind them.

Quickly turning around, both Riku and Hinata saw their employer DiZ approaching. His robes were dark and reached to the floor as a red scarf was wrapped around his face, concealing his true identity.

"You don't have any missions for us today so I thought we could go out." Riku spoke up.

DiZ stood in silence for a moment, before ordering them. "Make sure you are prepared for anything. Members of the Organization have been spotted in the area as of late." He nodded his head and turned around to walk away. "Be sure to notify me immediately if you find anything suspicious."

"Sure thing!" Hinata told him, hurriedly walking towards the exit of the mansion and dragging Riku behind her. Once they were out of ear-shot she whispered, "I'm surprised he didn't try to stop us."

"I think he knows we need a break." Riku shrugged, "And it's not like there is anything better for us to do if we stay here."

"I guess that's true." She admitted, pushing the door to the mansion open and walking outside into the crisp morning air.

They continued to chat as they made their way through the surrounding forest and entered Twilight Town. The streets were buzzing with people as they ran various errands and attended to their daily responsibilities. Three friends pushed passed Riku and Hinata, not looking where they were going.

"Oh sorry," The girl of the group with long chestnut hair apologized as they ran past. "We're in a hurry!"

"C'mon Olette!" A blonde boy with spikey hair called. "We're gonna miss the train to the beach!"

"I seem to run into them whenever I go out." Hinata noted, shaking her head. "They always seem to be in a hurry."

"They should look where they're going." Riku grumbled, straightening his long jacket.

"Oh they're just kids." Hinata laughed, tugging on Riku's arm as they began walking forward again.

Walking up the steep brick walkway, they made their way to the train station. A clock tower on top of the station spired high into the sky; rising above every building in the town. Hitting the next hour of the day, its bell resonated through the air, alerting the town-folk that it was ten in the morning. Riku momentarily let go of Hinata's hand and jogged up the small set of stairs leading up to the entrance. He opened the glass door and allowed Hinata to walk through.

"I didn't realize you were such a gentleman." She commented with a chuckle as she walked through.

"Only to you," He shrugged with a smirk, letting go of the door and reaching back for Hinata's hand. "And even that's only on special occasions."

The loud whistle of the train pierced through the busy station as travelers began boarding the passenger car. Riku pulled Hinata towards the ticket booth and stood in line behind the three teens they had run into earlier.

"Looks like we made it just in time," Hinata observed.

Moving up in line, Riku ordered them two tickets and once he received them he hurriedly tugged Hinata to the train. They awaited their turn and boarded the car, finding a seat nearby a window. They watched the town whiz by as the train left the station and arrived in Sunset Terrence shortly after. Once their transportation had reached to a full stop, they waited for most of the other passengers to flood off the car before doing so themselves. The bright sun greeted them as well as the cheery chime of the trolley that rode from one end of the market to the other.

"Well, where do you want to go first?" Riku asked, looking around at the busy town.

Hinata shrugged, "Let's just walk around right now. We can get some lunch in a little bit."

"Alright," Riku agreed, leading the way to walk through the streets.

They weaved through the bustling crowds and looked at the various items shops had to offer. Soon they got lost in conversation with each other and had begun walking without much knowledge or care of where they were going. Once they eventually did notice their surroundings they had found themselves in an alleyway with red brick walls.

"Now, how did we get here?" Hinata asked, pulling her hand away from Riku while she looked around.

Riku reached back for Hinata's hand and tugged her back to him, wrapping his hands around her waist once she was facing him. "I don't know, but it finally gives me a chance to do this." He leaned forward and lightly pressed his lips against Hinata's.

Hinata's cheeks warmed as she placed her hands against Riku's chest and kissed him back. They were lost in each other until suddenly an unnerving sound wisped through the alley. Breaking away from the kiss, Hinata whipped her head around in search of the noise.

"Did you hear something?" She asked.

Riku released his hold on Hinata and looked around. "Yeah, I did." Reaching out his hand he summoned his weapon Soul Eater. "Sounded like a portal; it might be the Organization."

Hinata reached down into her boot, pulling out a small dagger before leaning against Riku's back as they scoured the area. The same unnerving sound warbled around them and suddenly the brick wall at the end of the alley rippled, as if its surface were made of liquid.

"Okay, that's not normal." Hinata pointed out, tugging on Riku's arm to show him the phenomenon.

"What is that…" He muttered, taking a couple steps towards it and reaching out his hand. With the tip of his finger he tapped the wall and it rippled in response. "Seems like some sort of gateway. I wonder where it leads."

He was about to step forward when Hinata grabbed his arm to stop him. "Were you seriously about to walk into that thing?" She scolded him. "What if it's from the Organization?"

"If it is, we could finally learn more about them." Riku defended, looking back at her.

Hinata opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by a bright flash of light that caused them to shield their eyes. Keeping their eyes covered, they heard the same sound from before as well as a yell from a girl falling beside them. Within an instant the commotion had settled and the light had dissipated. Riku and Hinata uncovered their faces to see a teen girl lying face down on the sidewalk in front of them. She had long choppy brown hair reaching down her back, covering her purple hoodie. Her arms were outstretched in front of her and Hinata gasped when she noticed a blade clasped in the girl's hand. It had a long black hilt with a spiked silver blade that had the appearance of a bird's wing.

Riku and Hinata stared at the girl, uncertain of how to react. She began to groan and slowly pushed herself into a seated position. Hinata shook head and knelt down beside the girl as she rubbed her aching head with her free hand.

"Are you alright?" Hinata asked, looking at the girl concerned.

"I-I think so." She responded, looking over at Hinata with her blue eyes. "Where am I?"

Hinata glanced up at Riku before answering. "You're in Twilight Town; or really, Sunset Terrence." She looked the girl over before asking, "Um… who are you?"

Taking a deep breath, the girl stood up, momentarily losing her balance before Hinata helped support her. "My name's Akira." A soft meow came from her hair, causing her to get a strange look from Riku and Hinata. Akira smiled and explained, "And this is Kitigin."

As she said her name, a small white cat emerged from Akira's hair, climbing onto her shoulder. Hinata's eyes widened when she saw the cat and she gushed, "Oh, it's so cute!"

"Thanks!" Kitigin spoke up in a small voice.

"Oh," Hinata remembered, "I'm Hinata and this is…" She looked over at Riku, unsure if she could say his name.

"Riku," He filled in his own name.

Akira chuckled, "I'm surprised; you didn't even flinch at meeting a talking animal."

Hinata scoffed, "Please, I met a talking snowman just last week!" She laughed before clearing her throat. "I mean, this isn't the first time I've met talking creatures. It's sort of the norm for us."

"Where are you from, Akira?" Riku asked, stepping forward.

"Seikastu Valley." Akira quickly told him, brushing off dirt that had gotten on her gray pants from the fall.

Riku and Hinata gave each other confused looks before Hinata asked. "How did you get here?"

"I can answer that!" Kitigin spoke up with a smile. "We were off exploring when we found some old ruins!"

"Yeah," Akira added, "And there was one tall rock that almost seemed to be made of water. So I walked into it to see where it led."

Hinata crossed her arms and smirked over at Riku while Akira spoke but he rolled his eyes in return.

"We didn't just waltz into it." Kitigin pointed out, lightly rubbing her tail against Akira's cheek. "We were being attacked by Heartless."

Both Riku and Hinata's eyes widened as they exclaimed in unison. "Heartless?!"

As they said the word, the wall once again began to ripple and a bright light filled the alleyway. Keeping their eyes covered, the unnerving sound from before repeated multiple times as creatures were heard coming out of the portal. The light was finally sucked back into the portal and they opened their eyes to see that they were surrounded by Shadow Heartless; their yellow eyes glowed and their black bodies twitched as they stared at the group of humans. Without hesitation, Riku, Hinata, and Akira all readied their weapons, prepared to fight. The group of Heartless bared their sharp claws and immediately leaped into action. Hinata only had her dagger, but was still able to hold her own against a small group. She rolled out of the way of their attacks and stabbed her small blade into the chest of one in front of her, causing it to disintegrate around her weapon as she readied her next attack. Riku summoned Dark Firaga and cast it into the middle of a large mass, immediately vaporizing them upon impact. Holding up Soul Eater, he stopped three enemies as they attempted to overwhelm Hinata, causing them to degenerate in a mid-air attack. Akira summoned Blizzard and shards of ice scattered into the hoard in front of her, freezing them in place before shattering them with her sword. Kitigin hopped off Akira's shoulder onto the top of a Shadow's head. Baring her claws, she scratched at its eyes and bit one of its straggly antennas before moving to her next victim. Working together, they were able to take care of the hoard relatively easy, with only a few retreating into the streets of the town.

Akira spotted a few of the Heartless running into the busy streets and immediately took off after them, yelling to the others, "We can't let them get to other people!"

Hinata was out of breath but waved Riku away to go help her. Riku nodded and ran after Akira as Hinata regained her strength. She looked over at the portal on the wall and reluctantly lifted her hand towards it. Lightly placing her hand against it, she watched it ripple in response.

"How long has this been here?" She wondered aloud, running her hand along the entire entryway to see how large it was.

The same sound from earlier whispered past Hinata, urging her to enter. Shaking her head, she withdrew her hand and backed away a few steps. As she walked backwards she noticed that the edges of the portal were beginning to spark as if something was malfunctioning. Her eyebrows knitted in confusion and she gripped her hand tightly around her dagger, prepared for anything. With yet, another bright flash of light, a creature walked out of the wall and once it was through a loud clang of what sounded like metal scraping against something screeched through the air. Hinata uncovered her eyes to see a menacing Invisible Heartless standing in front of her. With a gasp, she backed away and hid around the corner, hoping the creature didn't catch sight of her. It stood in the alley way, holding a long blue sword in its beefy hand. Walking forward, it caused the ground to tremble with every step. Hinata tried to regulate her breath while the creature emerged from the narrow alley. Its elongated tail with spikes on the end, whipped the corner Hinata was hiding behind and she let out a startled gasp. She ducked down behind a nearby barrel when the enemy stopped and turned around at the sound of her voice. Watching it through the cracks in the wood, Hinata saw the creature's yellow eyes scan the immediate area. When it didn't catch sight of her, it snapped its fingers and disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke. Hinata waited until it floated out of sight before leaving her hiding spot and sprinting to find Riku.

She ran out of the alley into the streets of town. The once busy market brimming with people was almost completely empty, spare for Riku and Akira taking out the last Shadow Heartless. Akira swung her blade over her shoulder with a smirk as the final enemy was destroyed and Kitigin purred in response. She turned to smile at Riku but then frowned when she saw a shaken Hinata running toward her.

Hinata leaned her hands against her knees to catch her breath once she reached Riku and Akira. They waited impatiently while she regained her energy to tell them what had happened. "There's an Invisible here." She looked up at them and noticed both of their faces slightly pale.

"You mean that thing followed me here?" Akira asked with worry laced in her voice. "I didn't see it back on my world."

Hinata stood back up straight and assured her. "I saw it come through the portal myself. It's here."

"We can take it down if we work together." Riku placed his hand on Hinata's shoulder.

"I need a better weapon." Hinata told him. "All I brought was my dagger. I didn't think I would be fighting today so I left all my good stuff at the mansion."

"Then Riku and I can do it." Akira spoke up. "Wait… Did you just say you live in a mansion?"

"Have you fought one of them before?" Riku asked, taking his hand off of Hinata's shoulder and avoiding Akira's question.

"No," she admitted, "But I know about them and how they fight."

Riku looked unsure but Hinata urged him. "We have to do something Riku. I can try running back to the mansion to grab my real weapons, but who knows where it will be by then. Akira did great against all those Heartless; she'll be helpful against that thing."

He glanced over at Akira and Kitigin before sighing, "Alright, let's do it." He looked back at Hinata and asked, "Where did it go?"

"It turned into its mist form and flew towards the underground tunnels." She told him.

"Oh great," Riku groaned. "Who knows where it's headed then?" Shaking his head he began leading the way and told Akira, "Come on."

Akira nodded and quickly followed Riku's lead, leaving Hinata behind. She walked beside him as they made their way through the empty streets. The sound of running water rushing down a stream was the only ambience for them as they walked in awkward silence. Akira opened her mouth a few times in an attempt to start up a conversation but would quickly give up on the thought as Riku didn't seem interested in small talk. Kitigin couldn't take the quiet nature and finally broke the silence.

"So, you and Hinata seem close." Kitigin spoke up.

Her comment was met with a long string of silence before Riku finally answered simply.  
"Yeah…"

Not taking the cue, Kitigin tried again. "Okay, well… where did you get that cool sword?"

Kitigin waited expectantly for an answer until Riku shortly told her. "I found it…"

"Not very talkative are you?" Akira noted with a slight annoyance in her voice.

Before Riku responded, they entered a large tunnel that led underground. Dim lights hung overhead, hardly illuminating the multitude of pathways they had to choose from. Choosing a random path, Riku explained. "I don't trust you enough to tell you much."

"Why don't you trust me?" Akira asked, placing one of her hands on her hip while her other hand tightly gripped her blade. "What have I done to make you not trust me?"

"What have you done to make me want to trust you?" Riku asked in return.

"I helped you take out those Heartless didn't I?" She pointed out.

"That doesn't prove anything." He shook his head. "I've had sworn enemies help me take those things out. For all I know you could be working for Xehanort."

"What?" Akira yelled, slowing to a stop and glaring at Riku. "Do I really look like one of his thoughtless puppets?"

Riku lightly winced at her words. "No, but if there's one thing I've learned is that looks can be deceiving."

Akira shook her head and stomped forward, pushing past Riku. "Don't just go on assuming you know who I am! I would never work for that old man!"

"Old man?" Riku repeated in confusion under his breath, staring after Akira as she brushed past him. Rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably he apologized. "Look, I didn't mean to upset you. I just take a while to trust people."

"Yeah, well I'll prove that I'm a person you can trust." Akira stopped walking and looked back at Riku, with a determined look on her face. "Deal?"

Riku sighed, before putting up his hands in fake surrender. "Fine by me." He told her, moving on.

"You didn't have to yell at him." Kitigin whispered to Akira once Riku was up ahead.

"Did so," Akira defended. "He shouldn't say those types of things to people."

The sound of a blade clanging against something in the distance echoed through the tunnels, getting their attention. Riku held out his hand and summoned Soul Eater before immediately breaking into a run towards the echo. Akira followed close behind, readying her weapon. Their footsteps reverberated through the halls with every step as they ran and turning a corner they saw the Invisible Heartless right in front of them. A young-adult man was slumped unconscious against the wall with a deep cut across his chest, causing blood to soak his shirt. Akira gasped and brought her hand to her mouth when she saw the man while Riku glared up at the creature.

"Did that thing do that?" Akira asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," Riku told her shortly. "That's why we've got to take it down."

"Don't need to tell me twice." Akira agreed, holding out her free hand to begin charging up a spell.

The yellow eyes of their enemy stared at them as it watched them prepare to fight. Letting go of its sword, allowing it float in mid-air, the creature crossed its arms and let out a deep laugh.

Readying Soul Eater, Riku gave Akira a piece of advice. "Don't let it grab you. It can put a spell on you if it does."

"Right." Akira nodded her head as a dark glow encased her outstretched hand. "Dark fire!" She called out, releasing the spell. The fire zoomed into the creature's chest, taking it by surprise.

It growled at Akira while the fire dissipated. Grabbing its sword, it immediately charged at her. Riku ran over and sliced at its chest, causing a whiff of black smoke to erupt upon impact. Akira rolled out of the way of the creature as Riku attacked it and using her own blade, she brought it down on top of its tail; chopping it clean off. The Heartless let out a pained yowl and swung its muscled arms around frantically; catching Riku in its swing. Riku yelled as the enemy's arm slammed against his chest and sent him flying into the wall of the tunnel.

"Riku!" Akira yelled, blocking a sword attack from the Heartless. "Kitigin, make sure he's alright."

"Already on it!" Kitigin told her, scurrying off her shoulder to tend to Riku's wounds. She climbed onto his knees while he was slumped unconscious on the floor. Tapping her paw against a pink pearl in her golden collar, Kitigin closed her eyes. Her necklace began to glow and she called out, "Curaga!"

A green mist emerged from the pearl, floating into Riku and he immediately gasped awake with a startled breath. It took him a moment to realize where he was before he noticed Kitigin on his knee. He smiled at the cat in front of him and slightly bowed his head, "Uh… thanks."

Kitigin beamed up at him, "You're welcome!"

"Oh good, you're better!" Akira called in strain as she shot another spell at the Heartless. "Now do you think you could help me out here?"

"Yeah, right," Riku stammered, shaking his head to clear it before quickly standing up. Summoning Soul Eater, he ran back into the heat of battle.

Holding out his hand he summoned a Dark Aura, and sent a string of small dark bolts towards the creature. It was able to deflect most of them with its large blade, but two of them hit their mark against its already weakened body.

"Try to get the arm!" Riku called to Akira. "It's blocking too many of our spells with that sword."

Akira took a couple steps back, spinning her blade in her hand with ease. She waited for an opening and when the Heartless raised its arm to bring its sword down on top of Riku she charged. Getting close, she jumped up and brought her blade down on top of the creature's arm, slicing it right off into a billow of black smoke. The creature fell to its knees, letting out a snarl, and Riku and Akira took that as their moment to attack. Akira summoned Thunder, causing small streaks of electricity to rain down on the already suffering enemy while also carving at it with her weapon. Riku sliced off the other arm of the creature before stabbing Soul Eater straight through its neck. Letting out a disgruntled gurgle, the Invisible's yellow eyes faded away as its entire body began to disintegrate. Riku waited until the monster was completely gone before dissipating Soul Eater and stumbling back a few steps exhausted.

Akira plopped to the ground, also out of breath, and shrugged, "Well, that wasn't too hard."

Riku chuckled in response as Kitigin scurried back onto Akira's shoulder. He looked over and saw Akira scratching Kitigin behind her fluffy ears and smiled. Taking a deep breath he spoke up, "Hey… thanks… for saving me back there."

Kitigin looked over at Riku and grinned, "You're welcome! You two make a pretty good team. Maybe you should come back to Seikastu Valley with us!"

His smile faded before he responded. "Thanks, but I have things I need to do here." He turned around and began to walk back the way they came. "We should get back. Hinata's probably wondering where we are."

"Right behind ya!" Akira called after him, standing back up. She jogged after him to catch up and walked with him out of the tunnels.

The bright sunlight from outside momentarily blinded their eyes as they emerged from underground. Hinata was waiting for them right by the creek and when she noticed them coming out, her face lit up. She ran up to Riku and wrapped her arms around him.

"You're back!" She beamed, pulling back from Riku enough so she could see his face and gave him a quick kiss. "I was getting worried." She looked over and noticed Akira standing there uncomfortably. Hinata's cheeks flushed as she completely pulled away from Riku and clasped her hands behind her back.

Riku cleared his throat and then let out a small laugh before explaining. "Yeah, it took us a while to find the Heartless and once we did I got hurt pretty bad." When he saw the concerned look Hinata gave him he quickly added, "But Akira kept it busy while Kitigin healed me."

Hinata placed her hands on her hips and smiled over at Kitigin. "You can do magic?"

Kitigin smiled and nodded her furry head, "Yep! Akira says I'm a white mage!"

Looking over at Akira, Hinata told her. "Thank you for everything."

"It's no trouble!" She beamed, before rubbing the back of her neck. "I should be getting back to my world though. Who knows what else could get through that portal?"

Riku walked over to Hinata and grabbed her hand, before telling her quietly. "Then we can get back to our date."

Hinata smiled up at Riku and squeezed his hand before letting go to lead Akira to the portal. "It was nice to meet you!" She told her as she walked on beside Akira. "It's sort of crazy to think that there's a portal that leads to another world here."

Akira laughed, "You're telling me! I've never even heard of Twilight Town."

"You should come visit sometime!" Kitigin added, tapping her paw on Hinata's shoulder.

She glanced back at Riku, who was walking behind them. "Maybe someday," She said, "We have a lot going on here right now; but maybe when that's all done we'll take a vacation to see your world."

"Well you're always welcome." Akira told them. "You guys could meet my brother, Sorin! Well, he isn't really my brother, but he sort of is..." She shook her head before glancing back at Riku and adding. "Anyways, he would love to see your weapon Riku. What is it called?"

Riku looked up and responded, "Soul Eater. I got it on this world called, Prydain."

"He'll be so excited to hear about it." She responded.

"Well, here we are." Hinata spoke up, motioning her hand towards the brick wall in the alley.

"Thanks." Akira told her with a smile, before walking forward. "I guess, I'll see you guys later."

"Yeah," Riku smiled, walking up to be beside Hinata.

"See you later," Hinata waved with a smile.

Akira reached her hand towards the wall, expecting the brick to ripple at her touch, but all she touched was the rough texture of the bricks. Her eyes widened as she pressed both her hands against the wall and pushed against it; yet again nothing happened. "Are you sure this is the place?" She asked, slightly panicked as she continued pressing against the wall.

"Yeah, I'm certain." Hinata responded, coming up beside Akira to test the brick as well. When nothing happened she looked back at Riku with a worried expression.

"How am I going to get home?" Akira panicked, dropping her sword and putting her hands on the sides of her head.

Riku and Hinata looked at each other before Riku admitted, "I-I don't know."

 ***** Author's Note: So this idea came from Spirit of Writing. Akira and Kitigin are her Kingdom Hearts OC. Her idea was to have Akira and Kitigin find their way into a portal that leads to another world where they meet my OC Hinata; but then the portal stops working.**

 **This is going to be a four-parter short story.**

 **Also, the Invisible Heartless is the Heartless you fight i the first KH Game at The End of the World.**

 **If anyone has any ideas for different one-shot of short story ideas, feel free to let me know!*****


	2. Portals in Twilight Town Pt 2

"If the portal's gone, how am I going to get back home?" Akira asked, beginning to panic. "They need me there!"

"It's going to be fine." Hinata assured her, placing her hand on Akira's shoulder. "We'll figure something out. Right, Riku?" She turned to look at him with worry plain on her face.

Riku frowned at the girls in front of him and rubbed the back of his neck before stammering. "Yeah, I'll figure it out."

Reaching into one of the pockets in his long coat he pulled out a square black device. He walked out of the alley way and lifted it in front of him. The small screen on the front of the device flickered before showing DiZ. His one good golden eye stared out at Riku without emotion.

"Riku…" DiZ acknowledged in a deep voice. "What do you have to report?"

"It's hard to explain." Riku admitted, glancing back at Akira. "Hinata and I were walking through an alley in Sunset Terrence when this girl just came through the wall. Like some sort of portal."

DiZ nodded, "Is she still with you?"

Riku nodded, "Yeah, some Heartless followed her through, but we took care of them. The thing is though, we can't get her back. The portal closed somehow."

"Who is she?" He asked.

"She said her name was Akira." Riku told him.

DiZ's eye widened when he heard her name. "But that's impossible…" He said under his breath, before looking back at Riku. "Bring her to the mansion immediately."

He cut the call before Riku could respond. Riku sighed and placed the device back in his pocket as he walked back down the alley; approaching the girls as Akira was beginning to calm down.

"DiZ says to bring her." Riku told Hinata.

"Really?" Hinata asked in surprise. "Well alright." She smiled at Akira and Kitigin. "He'll definitely know what to do."

"Who's DiZ?" Kitigin asked, walking onto Akira's shoulder.

"We don't really know ourselves, to be honest." Hinata admitted, walking out of the alleyway.

They walked through the streets, back to the train station. The town was beginning to bustle with people as they realized the Heartless were gone. Riku led the way, weaving through the forming crowds with ease until they reached the stairway that led to the train. They were just in time as the whistle alerting its arrival blew through the calm air. The three of them rushed up the steps and grabbed their tickets before climbing aboard. Akira rubbed her hands uncomfortably along her arms as she sat down on a cushioned seat next to Hinata.

Once the train began to move, Hinata glanced over at Akira. "Are you alright?"

Akira smiled uneasily, before admitting. "Yeah, I just hate being in large crowds."

Hinata smirked and whispered. "You and me both. Don't worry, it's a pretty short ride. I always try to sit by a window so I can look out of it and ignore everyone else." She motioned her head beside her to the large glass window that overlooked Twilight Town whizzing by.

Looking out, Akira smiled. The sun was high in the sky, setting a golden hue over the miles of rooftops throughout the town. Before she knew it, the train was whistling, alerting them that they had reached their destination. As they got up and rushed out with the multitude of people, Hinata glanced down at Akira's hands with a confused look.

"I just realized that you don't have your weapon." She noted, looking back up at Akira's blue eyes. "Do you have a weapon like Riku; that you can summon?"

Waiting until they were out of the fray of the crowd, Akira held out her hand and with a bright flash of light her sword appeared in her hand. Hinata crossed her arms and let out a sigh when she saw the blade appear, while Riku walked forward interested.

"Why does everyone else get magic weapons and I'm stuck being resourceful?" Hinata complained, shaking her head.

Akira chuckled, before explaining. "It's called Dreams Will. It feeds off my energy and enhances my magic."

Riku summoned Soul Eater and held it up beside Dreams Will, noting. "They're similar in design. I wonder if they are somehow related."

"Does your blade have similar powers?" Akira asked, dissipating Dreams Will.

Riku looked down at Soul Eater before making it disappear. He avoided Akira's gaze and muttered, "Something like that. It feeds off darkness."

"You must be pretty dark then." Kitigin noted, getting a scowl from Akira. "You were kicking butt against that Heartless!"

Turning around, Riku began walking out of the train station and called behind him. "Come on, we need to get to the mansion."

"Should I not have said that?" Kitigin asked as they followed Riku.

Hinata half-smiled and shook her head, assuring the small cat. "It's sort of a soft spot for him right now. Don't worry."

Kitigin's black ears flattened against her head as she curled up on Akira's shoulder and Akira asked. "Is he always this, I don't know… gloomy?"

Shaking her head, Hinata assured her. "No, it's just been rough on us these past several months. There's a lot on his mind."

Akira looked at Riku worried as he walked ahead of them. "I'm sorry."

"We'll be alright." Hinata smiled as she talked, but her eyes were filled with uncertainty. "Together we can make it through anything." When Akira only nodded in return, Hinata pointed forwards, "Um, I'm going to check on him." She jogged forward until she caught up with Riku and interlocked her arm in his. "Are you alright?" She asked once she was beside him.

"Yeah," He admitted.

Hinata glanced behind them at Akira and Kitigin. They were a few steps behind them, glancing back and forth at the town around them in amazement. Turning back around, Hinata whispered. "Some date this turned out to be."

"I'll make it up to you." Riku assured her, placing his hand on her arm.

"Don't worry about it." She told him, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I'm just glad to be with you again; no matter what we're doing."

Riku glanced behind them and sighed. "If Akira wasn't here I would kiss you for saying that."

Hinata giggled, nudging him with her shoulder as her cheeks dusted pink.

"So how far away is this mansion or yours?" Akira asked, jogging up next to them.

Unlinking their arms, Riku and Hinata separated before Riku told her. "It's not too far off now; just past these shops and through the forest."

"Forest?" Akira repeated in confusion, looking around. "Where could a forest be around here?"

They continued to chat as they walked towards a tall brick wall with a hole in the base. It was surrounded by old papers and trash; making it nearly unnoticeable. As they approached it, Riku and Hinata began moving away some of the clutter so they could get through. Once it was clear they bent over and walked through the opening. Akira glanced uncertain at Kitigin but reluctantly followed. Making her way under the wall, she emerged into a thick forest. Her mouth was agape as she turned in place and looked up at the towering trees.

"Weird to think that there is an entire forest behind the walls." She muttered under her breath.

"Wait until you see the mansion." Hinata told her, motioning her head forward.

Akira followed them through the trees and they soon reached a tall black two doored gate. Riku pushed it open to reveal the two story building that seemed to be decaying with old-age. She arched an eyebrow at the decrepit home that seemed to be a mere husk of its former elegance.

"You guys live in this?" She asked, poorly hiding the distaste in her voice.

"Akira…" Kitigin scolded softly, swatting Akira's cheek with her paw.

Hinata chuckled. "Yeah, we know it's not much; but its home."

"It just… wasn't what I was expecting I guess." She admitted.

Akira gave one last stare at the place before shrugging and following the others inside. Riku pushed open the large brown doors and a loud creak echoed through the halls inside. They walked into the mostly empty building and Akira was becoming more uneasy by the second. Various pieces of wood and metal were scattered along the edge of the floor as if someone poorly attempted to hide the clutter. They walked up one of the two sets of stairs that led to the second floor. There were two doors, one on either side of the floor and Riku walked to the far right door; pulling it open. They entered what seemed to be a library along one wall and then a set of stairs leading down into a metal hall. Following the steps, the once rickety surroundings blended into something akin to a sci-fi film. The metal walls were covered with various lights and the sliver doors slid open with a mechanical whir. Akira's eyes were widened with confused wonderment as she entered a dimly lit room where a man wearing dark robes sat in front of a large computer with multiple screens. Riku and Hinata walked in silently and stood against the back wall as Akira entered the room. Kitigin hid slightly behind Akira's hair, her ears flat against her head. The man was typing away on one of the many computers, momentarily pausing when he heard the door to the room slide open.

Walking further into the room, Akira waited for the man to acknowledge her, but when nothing was said she spoke up. "Um… I take it your DiZ?"

The man paused for a moment, before chuckling in a deep voice. "You needn't sound so frightened child." He stopped his typing and turned his chair around to face the others. His one good eye looked over Akira, before he nodded to himself. "I didn't think it was possible, but here you are."

Akira arched an eyebrow at DiZ. "You know who I am?"

"Not you specifically, no," He told her. "But I do know a version of you."

"You're not making sense." Akira crossed her arms while Hinata and Riku exchanged confused glances.

DiZ stared at Akira for a moment, deciding his next words carefully. "This may be unsettling to hear, but when you walked through that portal you did not simply enter a distant world."

"What do you mean?" She asked, getting impatient.

"You entered another dimension." DiZ told her simply.

"What?" Hinata cried out, pushing away from the wall. "How is that even possible?"

"Wait, another dimension?" Akira asked in disbelief, "Are you crazy? A portal I just happened to find on my world led to another dimension?" She flew her hands in the air exasperated. "I've heard enough. Kitigin and I will find our own way back, thank you."

"There is already another Akira in this universe." DiZ told her, stopping Akira in her tracks. "She's older than you and is following a very different path."

Akira stopped walking and glanced behind her at DiZ. "How do you know all this?"

"I am uncertain of how the portal came to fruition on your world or why it led to this town in particular, but it is not the first I have ever seen of its kind." DiZ told them, ignoring Akira's question.

"Is there a way we can get her back to her… universe?" Hinata asked.

Akira stayed silent, trying to wrap her mind around everything happening as they continued to talk.

DiZ nodded, "There is, but it is not on this world."

Hinata groaned, "Great, another road trip." She placed a hand on her hip and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Where do we need to go?"

"A world called San Fransokyo." He told her. "Years ago there was a man named Professor Robert Callaghan that I worked closely with on creating a device that would allow people to travel freely between dimensions; or what he preferred to call parallel universes. Our work was cut short due to us missing a key ingredient to the process; however, after all these years I believe I have finally found that missing piece."

"What is it?" Riku asked, finally speaking up.

"A powerful relic I acquired called a Star Shard." He told them, reaching into his sleeve and pulling out a bright blue gummi shaped like a star with neon green veins running through it. "This piece can take its wielder anywhere in the universe; and hypothetically, harnessed with the correct equipment, to other dimensions."

"You really think it will work?" Hinata asked, stepping forward to examine the shard.

"And what makes you think this Callaghan would even be willing to help us?" Riku asked, walking up beside Hinata.

"You two and your endless questions…" DiZ complained under his breath. "Professor Callaghan worked endlessly on that portal until the day we lost contact. If he knows that this shard is the key, he will aid you." He looked over at Hinata. "This is a very powerful relic, if there is anything in this galaxy that can create a cross-dimensional rift, this is the piece."

Hinata nodded her head after DiZ finished. "Alright then, if you think it will work, then who am I to argue." She placed her hands down at her side and glanced over at Akira, who was still standing silently with her chin to her chest. "How far away is this planet? Do we need to ready the ship?"

DiZ turned his chair around and brought up a galaxy map on the computer screens. "San Fransokyo is about two planets away from us. It should be close enough for Riku to make a pathway."

"Alright, let's go." Riku nodded, holding out his hand.

"Is anyone going to ask what I want to do?" Akira finally spoke up. "I'm still trying to accept that I'm not even in my universe anymore!"

"What if the portal doesn't work?" Kitigin asked. "What then?"

Hinata walked up to Akira and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Look, I get that this is a lot to take in. I was stranded on an uninhabited planet a few months back and I had no idea if I would ever find a way to get off; let alone if I would ever see Riku or another living being again. The important thing to remember is to stay calm and don't lose hope." She put her hand back down to her side and smiled reassuringly. "We are going to get you home; one way or another."

Akira swallowed a lump forming in her throat and nodded. "You're right. Sorry, I shouldn't have freaked out."

"Really it's fine." Hinata told her with a laugh. "You handled it a lot better than I did."

"Were you really stuck on an uninhabited planet?" Kitigin asked, cocking her furry head to the side.

Hinata nodded and chuckled, "Yeah, it's a little hard to believe. Thankfully I was only there for a month before I got out."

"A whole month?" Akira asked, "How did you get out?"

"That's a long story." Hinata rubbed the back of her neck before looking at Riku. "I'm going to grab my weapons before we go. I might even see if Jack wants to tag along."

Riku nodded in response and Hinata walked to leave the room. Akira jogged up beside her and walked along with her. "Who's Jack?" She asked once they entered the main foyer of the mansion.

"He's my dog." Hinata told her with a smile, walking down the stairs to the main level and heading towards a glass door that led outside. Opening the door to an overgrown garden, she called. "Jack! Are you out here?"

A faint happy bark was heard in the distance and within seconds a floating white creature came bounding towards them. Its hollow eyes were widened and its pink tongue stuck out of its mouth as it barreled towards them. Reaching Hinata, the dog-like creature began speckling Hinata's cheeks with tiny licks and she laughed while trying to wave him away.

"Jack, Jack!" Hinata laughed, "I was only gone for a few hours, calm down!"

Jack, backed away and panted while his bony tail wagged behind him. Akira stared wide-eyed at him while Kitigin on her shoulder let out a low growl.

"That's… your dog?" Akira asked, Kitigin's growl turning into a hiss.

"Not what you were expecting?" Hinata teased. "Yeah, he was a gift I got a while back. He's great, he doesn't need to eat and he can even go through solid matter."

Jack wagged his tail at the praise he was receiving until he heard the hiss coming from Kitigin. His pointy ears flattened against his head as he growled back at the cat.

"Calm down, Jack." Hinata warned him. "She's a friend."

"Yeah Kitigin," Akira scolded, "He won't hurt you."

Kitigin's hiss fell silent, but she still eyed the dog uneasily. Hinata scratched Jack behind the ears as he went back to normal and explained. "We are about to head to another world, did you want to come along?" Jack looked up at Hinata as his tail fell and she added, "I know, we just got back from a mission yesterday, this sort of came up. You don't have to come along. You could keep Namine company; she's probably in the white room upstairs."

Jack wagged his tail and immediately rushed past Hinata to head up the stairs to the white room. Hinata put her hands down to her side and sighed. "Well I guess that means he doesn't want to come along."

"Why is he like a ghost?" Akira asked, "Where did you get him?"

Hinata began to walk away from the glass door towards another door across the foyer before answering. "You're probably not going to believe this, but I got him from Santa Clause."

Akira scoffed. "Yeah right."

"No I'm serious!" Hinata laughed, "I found myself in this place called Christmas Town and I met Santa there. He gave me eight different gifts and one of them ended up being Jack."

"Wow," Akira said under her breath. "Who would have thought that guy was actually real?"

"I know," Hinata agreed, pushing open the door once they reached it. They entered the hallway it led into and she told Akira. "I just need to pick up my weapons from my room. Then we can get going."

"You really have to carry your weapons with you everywhere?" Akira asked. "Doesn't that get tiring?"

"Yes," She admitted. "Especially since everyone I run into on my journey keeps having these magical weapons that appear at will; but I manage." She glanced over at Akira and asked. "How did you get Dreams Will anyways?"

"From me!" Kitigin spoke up proudly. "It used to belong to my master until… well, until they died." Her black ears solemnly went down on her head as she explained. "But after they were gone I was entrusted to find a new wielder and that's when I met Akira."

"So you're like the guardian of it?" Hinata asked, opening a door that led to her and Riku's room. She smiled and nodded, "That's pretty cool." Lightly pushing on Akira's shoulder, she told her, "Congrats, I guess."

Akira smirked, "Yeah, I don't know why she chose me, but I'm thankful to have it." She stopped walking and looked around the bedroom. It seemed to be just as decayed as the rest of the mansion and dusty books were scattered across the floor. "Do you guys just not clean around here?"

Hinata walked to her bedside table and grabbed her gauntlets, slipping them onto her hands. She looked around the room before answering. "Well, this place isn't exactly ours. We're just sort of using it as a base if you will."

"Who are you guys?" Akira asked, crossing her arms. "The longer I'm here the more confused I get."

Nodding, Hinata turned back around and admitted, "Yeah, and it only gets worse if you actually live here. I don't understand half the things DiZ tells us to do. I just do what I'm told."

"Just like that?" Akira asked, "You blindly follow orders?"

"I guess I made it sound like that." Hinata admitted before explaining, "But no, we don't follow blindly. We make sure that the missions aren't going to harm anyone innocent, but other than that… we trust DiZ enough to know that he has our best interest in mind."

"Why are you guys working for him?" Akira asked, crossing her arms.

Hinata opened her mouth to answer, but quickly shut it and shook her head. "Look, it's a long story and we have to get going." Lifting her hand in front of her she clenched her fist and out the front of her gauntlet appeared a bright blue laser that formed into a sharp blade.

Akira and Kitigin's mouths were agape as they saw the blade appear. "What in the world is that?" Akira asked.

With a smirk, Hinata unclenched her hand to make the blade disappear. She lifted her other hand and did the same motion as she answered. "Pretty nifty huh? I was on this planet called Montressor for a few months and while I was there I got these made. I already had the gauntlets, but I just sort of upgraded them." She grinned and held her hands down at her side, "So it's sort of my way to be able to summon my own weapons." Heading out of the room she motioned her head. "Now come on, we have a portal to make."

Akira followed close behind and they made their way back to the computer room where Riku was waiting for them. In Riku's hand was the star shard as well as an envelope. Hinata walked up to him, eyeing the letter.

"You ready?" Riku asked once they entered the room.

Both of them nodded and DiZ turned around in his seat to watch them leave. Riku placed the items in his pocket and held out one of his hands. Within seconds a black portal appeared out of the ground. Akira took a couple steps back when it appeared, her eyes widening. Without reacting, Riku and Hinata walked into the blackness and Akira reluctantly followed. Once through, she found herself in the Corridor of Darkness. A gray haze surrounded them, leading to a bright light at the end of the walkway.

Akira was about to ask where they were when Hinata explained. "It's called a Corridor of Darkness. If you have the power of darkness you can create these portals to get you quickly from one world to the next."

Hinata jogged forward to be beside Riku as Akira looked down at her hands. "I have the power of darkness…" She whispered to Kitigin. "Can I make these portals?"

"We'll have to find out once we get home." Kitigin told her. "Let's focus on getting back to our universe right now."

"Right…" Akira nodded, looking back up. She caught sight of Hinata interlacing her fingers in Riku's and shook her head. "It's a little nauseating how cutesy they are. Riku's like a different person around her."

Kitigin giggled in response and nuzzled into her cheek. "I bet you'll be like them someday." She told her.

She scoffed, "I better not. I have enough going on without having to worry about some boy."

"You'll change your mind once you find the right guy." Kitigin assured her with a purr.

"Maybe…" Akira admitted, looking up as they got close to the light. Raising her voice so the others could hear her, she asked, "So we just walk through this and we'll be on another world?"

"Yep!" Hinata called behind her. "It's pretty amazing!"

Akira shielded her eyes as she walked into the blinding light and when she reopened them she was taken aback by her surroundings. The sun was high in the sky, overlooking the metropolis they found themselves in. Cars whizzed around them and buildings with pointy roofs lined the busy streets. Round, colorful blimps spotted the bright sky, with screens along the sides advertising various products. Trees with dark brown trunks and pink flowers blossoming along the branches lined the sidewalks. They stood on a street corner in front of what appeared to be a café.

"This is amazing!" Akira beamed, turning around and taking everything in. "I've never seen anything like this before!"

"Did DiZ tell you where to find the Professor?" Hinata asked Riku, barely fazed by their new surroundings.

Riku nodded, "Yeah, The Institute of Technology. But I have no idea where to find it…"

"Well, we're in front of a café, let's see if anyone in there knows." Hinata suggested, opening the door to the café and walking inside.

The inside was a quaint area with green walls encasing the multiple windows. Booths and tables were scattered through the tiled room in front of a large counter with two glass cases stuffed with various baked goods. As they entered, Hinata's stomach rumbled with hunger and she immediately brought her hands over her waist, embarrassed.

"Welcome!" A cheery woman's voice greeted them. They all looked forward to see a thin brunette woman standing in front of them with a bright smile. She balanced a tray of food on her palm and placed plates onto the nearby table. Once it was empty, she put the tray under her arm and brushed her hands on her white apron. "My name's Cass, what can I get for you kids today?"

Hinata smiled and stepped forward, "Hi, we were just wondering where we could find the Institute of Technology?"

"Oh you must be some new transfer students!" She chimed with excitement. Motioning her hand towards an empty booth, she urged. "Sit down for grub! I'll fill you in on the ropes of San Fransokyo!"

"Thanks, but we're in a hurry." Riku spoke up, putting his hand up.

"Actually Riku, I'm really hungry." Hinata told him. "We never got lunch, remember?"

Riku glanced over at Akira who shrugged in response. "Might as well go home with a full stomach," She noted.

"Alright fine," Riku resigned, following Cass to the empty booth and sliding into the cushioned seat.

Hinata slid in next to him while Akira and Kitigin sat across the table. Cass handed them menus and told them. "My nephew, Hiro, should be here any minute. He goes to that University you guys are looking for. I'm sure with some good bribing I can get him to show you around."

"Thanks." Hinata told her with a smile.

"Let me know when you kids are ready to order!" She told them, turning around to aid the other customers.

Akira looked out the window at the surrounding city as Riku and Hinata chatted about what they were going to get to eat. Kitigin hopped off of Akira's shoulder, onto the table and stretched her stiff legs.

"Have they got anything for cats here?" She asked, trotting over to Hinata's menu.

"I'm sure we can find something for you." Hinata chuckled, petting Kitigin's head.

"You really think the professor will still have all the stuff for the portal?" Akira asked, still looking outside.

"There's only one way to find out." Hinata shrugged. "If he doesn't have the plans anymore, at least we know that the materials are in this world. DiZ said they were close to figuring out how the portal worked so I don't see why he would just scrap it."

They sat in silence until Cass came back and took their orders. She glanced uneasily at Kitigin on the table, but then seeing her own cat walk along the floor she shrugged it off and went back to the kitchen to begin their orders. Soon the food was in front of them and Riku and Hinata hungrily ate while Akira poked at her food; letting Kitigin eat most of it.

"Hey man, digging that black coat!" A young man's voice caught their attention. They looked up to see a tall man walking towards them with a teal beanie covering the top of his long brown hair. He gave Riku thumbs up as he approached.

"You like anything that isn't ordinary." A dark skinned man noted. He walked beside the other man, along with four other people. His dread locked hair was held back with a green headband, matching his green sweater.

Hinata examined the group approaching them. Besides the two that had already talked, there were two girls and a young boy. One of the girls was shorter with choppy black hair, chewing on a piece of gum with an uninterested look on her face. The other girl was tall and thin with large plastic glasses and a yellow dress. The youngest of the bunch, a young boy with messy black hair, stood at the front of the group with a big smile on his face.

"Aunt Cass! I'm home!" He called.

Cass rushed out from behind the counter and immediately hugged the young teen. "Oh there's my favorite nephew!" Pulling away she gave a large group hug to the others. "It's great to see all of you. Here for some of those amazing hot wings?"

"You know it Aunt Cass!" The man, wearing the beanie agreed, plopping down in a booth in behind Riku and Hinata. "I for one am looking forward to my face melting off by that hot sauce." Once he was seated he held out his hand between Riku and Hinata. "The name's Fred; pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Riku just stared at the strange man while Hinata reluctantly took Fred's hand and shook it. "I'm Hinata; nice to meet you too."

Fred smiled and looked over at Riku, lightly hitting his hand on his shoulder, "Seriously man, where did you find that awesome coat? Like you've got this dark and mysterious aura about you!"

"Fred, stop bothering the poor guy." The girl with the short choppy hair scolded him, sliding into the booth.

"Oh, come on Go-Go!" Fred defended. "Life is all about making new friends."

"It usually goes better when the people you're talking to actually want to become your friend." The man with the dreadlocks told him, also sitting down.

"Wasabi's right." Go-Go agreed, blowing a bubble with her gum and popping it.

"Oh, you guys are no fun." Fred waved them off, turning back around.

Riku sighed in relief once he was gone and Hinata chuckled.

Cass came up to Fred's table and motioned her hand towards Akira and the others. "They are new students at the University! I was thinking that maybe you guys could show them around?"

"Of course!" Fred jumped up and turned back around, much to Riku's dismay. "See, it's destiny that we become friends!"

"I don't know if I would say that," Akira told him.

"You guys are new students?" The young boy turned around from his Aunt Cass. Lifting his hand, he introduced. "I'm Hiro by the way."

Hinata smiled at Hiro and told him. "Something like that. We were just asking your aunt how to find the University. Is it close by?"

"Not too far." He answered her, sticking his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "Once we're done eating I'll take you there."

"Thank you, Hiro." Hinata smiled and then remembered. "I'm Hinata by the way, and this is Riku and Akira."

"And Kitigin!" Kitigin chimed in, looking up from Akira's plate.

"Did that cat just talk?" Wasabi leaned back in his seat and pointed at Kitigin.

"Oops…" Kitigin whispered under her breath, before jumping onto Akira's shoulder.

"I wish my cat, Mochi could talk!" Cass commented, turning away from the group to help the other customers.

"Of all the things we've seen lately, a talking cat doesn't seem too farfetched." Go-go shrugged, popping another bubble with her gum.

"We should let them eat in peace, you guys." The girl with the large glasses suggested. "We can get to know them afterwards."

"Considerate as always, Honey Lemon." Wasabi noted, giving an uneasy look at Kitigin before looking down at his menu.

As the group went back to their own table, Akira looked them over. "That was something alright." She whispered to the others, causing Hinata to chuckle.

"Yeah, we always tend to run into interesting characters." Hinata admitted. "Still though, at least they seem nice."

Akira shrugged and finally began eating her food. They ate in silence and once they were done, Cass came over to clear their plates. Hinata got up from her seat and reached into a pocket in her pants, pulling out a blue plastic card. She followed Cass to the register while Akira stared after her confused.

"What is that?" She asked Riku.

"Something DiZ gave us." He told her. "It's like some sort of credit card that works as munny across worlds."

"And it actually works?" She asked, getting up from her seat.

"Somehow." Riku shrugged, also getting up. "It's never given us any trouble."

Akira nodded, watching Hinata as she paid for the food and made her way back to them. "So, off to the University now?" She asked once Hinata was in front of them.

"Yeah," Hinata agreed. "Professor Callaghan should be there and then we can finally get you home."

"That would be nice." Akira smiled.

The entire café around them fell silent as they spoke. They noticed the silence and looked warily around them and saw every person in the building staring.

"You're looking for Callaghan?" Hiro asked, getting up from his seat.

Akira uncomfortably stepped forward and nodded. "Yeah, we were told he could help us with something."

"And who exactly told you that?" Go-go asked; narrowing her eyes at them as she also stood.

"Why?" Riku asked, holding out his hand, ready to summon Soul Eater.

"Callaghan's been in jail for over a year." Honey Lemon spoke up, calmly.

"What?" Hinata asked.

"Man, you guys must really not from around here!" Fred butted in with a laugh. "His story was all over the news!"

"Everyone in San Fransokyo knows about it." Go-go told them, walking up to them with a glare in her eyes. "So how come you guys don't?"

Hinata glanced around and noticed the surrounding customers in the café beginning to get uncomfortable. Clearing her throat she offered. "Okay, look you guys. We'll tell you everything at the University. This isn't the place for this conversation."

Go-go glared up at them unconvinced, until Hiro came up beside her and placed his hand on her shoulder. Her eyes softened as she looked over at him and Hiro spoke up. "Alright, we'll talk more at the University. Come on."

Hiro motioned his head towards the exit and he turned to walk towards it. Go-go narrowed her eyes at the three teens once more before following after him. The rest of his friends got up from their booth and began exiting the building. Watching them leave, Hinata sighed and turned to face Akira.

"We'll figure something out. Maybe we can visit Callaghan in jail and find a way to still have him help us." She tried to assure her.

"But why is he in jail in the first place?" Akira asked. "Why would DiZ send you guys to find a dangerous man?"

"I don't think he knew." Riku spoke up. "They said he has only been in the jail for about a year; we don't know what the guy did." He motioned his head after Hiro, "Come on, we'll find out more at the University."

"This day is turning out to be a lot longer than expected." Akira complained to Kitigin following Riku and Hinata out of the café.

 ***** Author's Note: Akira and Kitigin belong to Spirit of Writing *****


	3. Portals in Twilight Town Pt 3

Portals in Twilight Town

Part 3

Cars honked through the busy streets as the group of teens walked along the sidewalk. Akira stuffed her hands into her hoodie's pockets and looked around at the bright surroundings. Each shop was vibrantly colored with neon lights shining to draw attention. People busily bustled in every direction causing her to feel crammed and uncomfortable, but she couldn't deny the beautiful city.

"Do you like it here?" Kitigin asked her, coming out from behind her hair.

Akira shrugged and looked on ahead at the others. Riku was walking beside Hinata while the six other teens were far up ahead, casting side glances at them every few seconds. With a long sigh, she answered Kitigin, "I don't know. All I know is that I hope we can get back to Seikastu Valley soon. I wonder if anyone has noticed we're gone."

"Me too." She agreed, rubbing the top of her furry head against Akira's cheek. "Everything will be fine, I'm sure of it! Hinata and Riku will find a way."

"I just hope this Callaghan guy can actually help us… wonder what he did to get in jail."

"I guess we'll just have to wait to find out."

Akira nodded and then quickened her pace to meet with Hinata and Riku. "So… how are we planning on talking to Callaghan?"

"I was thinking that once we reach the University, we could explain the situation to Hiro and the others." Hinata offered.

"But won't they freak out that I'm not even from this dimension?" Akira asked.

"If Callaghan was already working on a portal to do that type of thing, I don't see why other people on this world wouldn't already be familiar with that type of thing." Hinata replied.

"I think we should wait on telling them everything." Riku spoke up. "Remember what DiZ warned you about? Making sure not to meddle in other world affairs?"

"But is it really meddling to ask for help?" Hinata asked.

"Showing a group of teens how to build a cross dimensional portal… you don't think that would mess anything up?" Akira asked Hinata a bit of sarcasm in her voice. "Think of the things people could do with that type of technology. You can't just tell any random person about that."

Hinata winced at her harsh tone but sighed, "I guess you're right… you both are. I'm just not sure what to do if we can't get a hold of Callaghan."

Riku was about to respond but closed his mouth as the six teens in front of them came to a stop. They stood in front of a large stone sign that read, Institute of Technology. Beyond the sign was a large grass field that led to different tall buildings that made up the entire University.

Hiro turned around to Riku, Hinata, and Akira and motioned his arms outward. "Well here we are, the University."

"Now would you mind telling us what you want with Callaghan?" Go-go spoke up while crossing her arms and popping a bubble of gum.

"Not very patient are you?" Akira asked her, placing her hands on her hips.

"You said you would tell us once we got to the University." She reminded them.

"It is a little odd that you guys would want to see Professor Callaghan, especially after everything that happened." Honey Lemon, told them stepping forward.

"What exactly happened?" Hinata asked.

"How do you not know?" Wasabi asked. "Everyone in San Fransokyo knows about it."

Riku rubbed the bridge of his nose and broke in, "Look, we could ask each other questions all day. All we want to know is where to find Callaghan. Then we will be on our way and leave you guys alone."

The six friends exchanged looks, seemingly trying to figure out what to do. After a moment of tense silence, Hiro let out a sigh and answered them, "He's in the city's jail. You can take a trolley from here to it; it will be your fourth stop. I don't know if you'll be able to see him though. He isn't allowed many visitors."

"Let us worry about that," Riku told them, grabbing Hinata's arm and turning around.

"That's it?" Hinata whispered to him as her began pulling her along with him to walk away.

"We are here for Callaghan, not a tour of the school." Riku answered her, glancing behind him as Akira scurried after them. He was about to turn his head back forward, but he heard the familiar sound of Heartless appearing. Stopping in his tracks, he spotted a group of Shadow Heartless coming out of the grass field.

"Hey it's those strange black creatures again!" Fred pointed them out to his friends.

Riku held out his hand and summoned Soul Eater. He glanced to Akira and Hinata and told them, "Come on, we'll take care of these guys and then we'll head to the jail."

Hinata nodded and began running with Akira and Riku past the six friends towards the Heartless. "So much for being secretive," She mumbled under her breath as she activated her blades.

"What?" Wasabi yelled when he saw Hinata's blades. "What are you doing?"

"We'll take care of the Heartless, you guys just stay back!" Akira told them, summoning Dreams Will.

"We can help!" Hiro told them.

"Please, really just stay back." Hinata told them. "We deal with Heartless all the time."

"Heartless?" The teens repeated; all exchanging looks of confusion as Hinata, Riku, and Akira took out the monsters.

Within minutes all of the Heartless were gone and Hinata deactivated her blades, before walking over to the six teens. "See, we handled it." She told them with a smile as she approached them.

"Where did you get those blades?" Wasabi asked, stepping forward.

Hinata looked down at her gauntlets and shrugged, "Oh my friend made them for me a few months ago. They really come in handy!"

"Your friend knows how to create weapons with laser induced plasma?" Wasabi asked almost skeptically.

"What?" Hinata asked, holding up her hand in front of her. "Is that what it's called? I honestly don't know or understand the science about it."

"What's his name?" Hiro asked, pushing past his friends, "If he's smart enough to make that type of thing then we probably know him or have at least heard of him."

Rubbing the back of her neck, she stammered, "Uh… I uh… don't think you guys would know him." Her cheeks flushed as she spoke and she lightly bit her lip.

"You're lying about something," Go-go pointed out, placing her hands on her hips. "Hiro is the one that turned plasma induced lasers into weapons." She stepped forward and asked, "So where did you really get it?"

"Hinata, let's head to the station." Riku cut in, placing his hand on Hinata's shoulder.

"Woah, wait, did you and that other girl just summon your own weapons?" Fred spoke up, a smile on his face, "That was so amazing! Forget laser swords, I want to know how you guys pulled that off." He nudged Honey Lemon, "See, I told you it was scientific to grab things out of thin air!"

"It's really… not." Honey Lemon admitted.

Akira groaned, "We don't have time to answer all of your questions. You're welcome on saving your life, by the way. We're headed to the station."

"We're coming with you." Hiro told them, stepping forward. "I don't know what you guys want with Callaghan, but you are definitely up to something; so we're going to keep an eye on you guys."

"What are you guys San Fransokyo's defense force or something?" Akira asked, crossing her arms. When the teens didn't answer, she looked them over, "Wait, is that what you guys actually are?"

"Come on, the station is this way." Hiro avoided her question and motioned his head back towards the city.

"Hold up," Go-go stopped him. "Do you really think having all nine of us plus that talking cat going to a police station is the best idea?"

"Go-go is right," Honey Lemon spoke up, "Maybe it would be better if just one of us goes along with them and the rest of us stay behind here at the university."

"I for one need to study for finals coming up." Wasabi pointed out.

"I'm up for going to the station." Fred raised his hand and walked up beside Riku, leaning his elbow on his shoulder. "Give me time to get to know these guys a little better."

Riku clenched his fists, resisting the urge to push Fred off of him; but remained calm trying to wait for their discussion to end.

"Fine," Hiro resigned with a shrug. "Fred and I will take all of them to the station. Keep your phones on in case we need backup for anything."

"Backup?" Hinata repeated, crossing her arms. "I'm pretty sure we could handle whatever we find."

"Oh we know it," Fred told her as they began walking away from the University. "But just think of us as a friendly backup plan."

"So you mind telling us what this Callaghan guy did finally?" Akira spoke up. "If we're going to be meeting him, we really should at least know what happened."

Hiro sighed and nodded, "Fair enough. Years ago this man named Alistair Krei was working on these portals that would almost instantly teleport objects and people from one place to the next. The project was going successfully with objects so he and his team decided to move up to testing the portals with live test subjects. Abigail Callaghan, Professor Callaghan's daughter was the first subject… except when she went into the portal something went wrong and the portal shut in on itself."

"Oh no," Hinata commented, her eyes saddened. "So I take it Callaghan blamed that Alistair for his daughter's loss?"

"Right you are," Fred pointed out. "After that Professor Callaghan went all revenge crazy and eventually turned into a super villain when Hiro here invented micro-bots."

"What are micro-bots?" Kitigin asked.

"They were these small robots that I could control through a neuro-transmitter." Hiro explained. "I invented them to get into that University we were just at; but when Professor Callaghan saw them at the seminar he…" His voice trailed off.

"He set the whole place on fire and used those micro-bots to protect himself." Fred finished.

"My brother, Tadashi, ran in after him to save him but… he died in the fire." Hiro told them, his eyes downcast.

Hinata placed her hand on Hiro's shoulder, "I'm sorry."

Hiro shook his head, "It's alright. He was doing what he thought was right. None of us knew what Professor Callaghan wanted."

"What did he do with your micro-bots?" Riku asked, stopping as they reached a street crosswalk.

"He used them to bring back the portal that took his daughter away to destroy Alistair's life's work." Hiro told him.

"But the notorious Big Hero 6 stopped him from destroying the entire world!" Fred spoke up, a proud smile on his face.

"The what-now?" Akira asked, walking forward when the street sign showed a walking light.

"Only the most amazing skilled group of superheroes San Fransokyo has ever known!" Fred stated proudly.

"Who are they?" Hinata asked as they crossed the busy street.

"Well if I told you their identities they wouldn't be super now would they?" Fred told her, crossing his arms.

"I… suppose not?" She answered, more confused than anything.

"Here's where we wait for the trolley." Hiro told them stopping in front of a red sign with a black silhouette picture of a trolley.

The others stopped around him as they all waited for the ride to arrive. Within minutes a cheery chime dinged through the air as a bright red trolley car approached them. Squeezing through the crowd of people already on the vehicle they found an open space in the back near an opened fenced in area. Akira stood towards the metal railing, clasping her hands tightly around the bar and trying her best to ignore the multitude of people around her. Hinata came up beside her and looked out at San Fransokyo as the trolley drove them to their destination.

"How are you doing?" Hinata asked her.

Akira sighed, "Let's just say I'm probably going to lock myself away for a couple days once I get home just so I can get some time alone."

Hinata chuckled, "Yeah, this place is incredibly busy. I'm thankful I don't live here; I don't think I would be able to handle being around this many people all the time."

"What are we going to tell Callaghan when we see him?" She asked after a few moments of silence between them. "He's in jail, not like he can just pop out for a stroll to help us build the portal."

Hinata shrugged, "Maybe not, but he should be able to tell us where the parts are at least or where the schematics are. I'm sure he's kept some record of them. The hard part will just be convincing him to tell us."

"But what if he won't?" She asked.

"Well I wouldn't worry about that too much." Hinata assured her. "Riku and I can be pretty persuasive."

Akira let out a small laugh, "If you say so…"

"This should be our stop," Hiro placed his hand on Hinata's shoulder, getting her attention.

The trolley dinged as it slowed to a stop and allowed the teens to climb off. As the trolley drove away they found themselves on a street corner in front of a massive brick building with arched green roofs layering the multiple floors. A large arched doorway lined with windows stood under a stone sign that read, Police Station.

"Here we are, finally." Hinata sighed, walking up beside Riku. He stood there with his arms crossed, obviously wanting to get a move on. "Are you doing alright?" She asked him quietly.

"Just want this whole ordeal to be over." He replied, glancing over to her. "This day didn't really turn out like I had planned."

Hinata scoffed, "You've got that right; but at least we got to see a whole new world."

"I've seen enough of those to last a lifetime at this point." He complained.

"Hmm…" Hinata replied, a small smile appearing on her face.

"What?" He asked her.

"Oh nothing," She shrugged, "It's just I couldn't imagine you saying something like that when you were back on the island. Seeing new worlds was basically all you ever wanted to do."

He chuckled, "Yeah, well things change."

"You guys ready?" Kitigin asked, peeking out from behind Akira's hair.

"Yeah," Hinata nodded, glancing over at Hiro and Fred. "Are you guys going to seeing Callaghan with us?"

Hiro nodded, "We want to keep an eye on you guys remember?"

"We can take care of ourselves." Riku told him. "You got us to the station; we can handle the rest from here."

"No way man," Fred declined, "We saw how you guys summoned those swords out of thin air and took out those monsters. Whatever you want Callaghan for we want to know about."

"Why do you care so much?" Akira asked; frustration in her voice. "Can't you just leave us alone?"

"Let's just go inside to talk to Professor Callaghan." Hiro stepped in. "We'll explain everything after the meeting."

"Fine," Riku sighed, "Let's go."

They tensely walked towards the large entrance and entered the station. The main room was large and gray with brown benches lining down the center leading to a front desk where a large man sat in a chair seemingly bored with his day. He glanced up from his computer when he heard the teens enter, examining them under the rim of the blue police cap covering half his eyes.

"Can I help you?" He asked them in a bored voice as they approached the desk.

Hinata stepped forward, "Yes, we're here to visit a prisoner? A man named Robert Callaghan."

The officer eyed Hinata and the group surrounding her, unsure of what to think of them. Then he spotted Hiro and nodded towards him, "You know these individuals?"

Hiro nodded, "Uh, yes officer. They are students at the University Professor Callaghan taught at."

"Are they now?" He looked back at Hinata, Riku, and Akira. "Why do you want to visit Callaghan?"

"Personal business." Riku answered, getting an uneasy look from the officer.

The man looked them over and sighed, "Alright, visiting hours just started so you can meet with him. No weapons allowed." He looked at Hinata. "I don't know what those gloves are ma'am, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave them here while you speak with the prisoner."

"Oh, alright," Hinata looked down and took off her gauntlets, placing them on the counter.

Once the gloves were off, the officer stood from his seat and walked out from behind his desk. Motioning his arm, he told them, "Follow me. Callaghan is this way."

The group nodded and followed the officer through a door that led to a long hallway. They passed a glass window that looked into a plain mostly empty room with only a table and two chairs. The officer stopped by a door leading into said room and told a nearby officer to retrieve Callaghan.

"Two of you can go in to talk with him at a time." He told the group. "We will be observing the entire conversation from here."

"Who should we send in?" Hinata asked the others.

"I have something I need to give him, so I'll go in." Riku answered. "As for the other person, Akira…"

"I don't want to go in." Akira cut in. "I'm not exactly the best at talking… especially at being persuasive."

"Alright, I'll go in then." Hinata assured her, looking up at Riku. "What did DiZ give you?"

"The star shard and a letter for him." He answered her. "He told me not to give the letter to anyone except Callaghan."

"If you've decided, go ahead and head in." The officer told them.

"Alright," Riku replied, opening the door and heading in.

Hinata followed behind him and entered the dimly lit room. The window she had seen from the outside looked like a mirror once she walked into a room. With a small smile she pointed out, "Hey it's like the sash over your eyes, a two way mirror."

Riku looked up at the mirror and nodded, not sharing her amusement as he was caught up in the seriousness of the moment. He pulled out the chair from the table and stood behind it as Hinata sat down. As she sat, he leaned down and whispered to her, "Since the police will be watching, we need to be careful about what we say to Callaghan, alright? I'll try to do most of the talking."

"Alright," She agreed as he stood back up straight. Taking a deep breath she assured herself, "We can do this."

Within minutes the door to the room once again opened and two police officers entered, holding the arms of an older man. Hinata watched as the men brought him in and mentally noted that he didn't look like any criminal she had ever seen. His face seemed hard and saddened, but there were also hints of old smile wrinkles as if he was once a happy man. Still handcuffed, the officers placed Callaghan into the seat across the table. Once he was seated, he brought up his downcast eyes to see his visitors, giving them strange looks as he did not recognize them.

"Who…" He began to speak up in a raspy voice.

"We're delivering a message." Riku interrupted him, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the envelope DiZ had given him.

Callaghan lifted his handcuffed hands and took the envelope from Riku. "A… letter?" He slowly asked, looking up at the two of them, still confused and unsure of their intentions.

The officers that had brought him in stood at the back of the room; hands on their weapons ready for things to turn sour at a moment's notice. They watched as Callaghan tore the letter open. He struggled to get the paper out with his hands brought so close together by the cuffs, but he managed; holding the paper in front of him once it was out, he read it silently.

' _It's been quite some time, my old friend._

 _Many moons have passed since we last spoke and I hope they find you well. I do not have the time or space to tell you the reason of my sudden disappearance all those years ago; but I assure you they are quite valid. I must insist that you read this letter in silence, for the individuals in front of you do not know of my true identity, Ansem the Wise._

 _You may remember the many visits we shared trying to discover the way to create a cross dimensional portal so we could in turn find your dear daughter, Abigail. I know this may be coming a bit late; but I have discovered the means to create such a portal. The boy in front of you is named, Riku. He holds the vital ingredient to the portal and needs your help to harness its power. I am ashamed to be asking your help after being absent so many years; however, I had no alternative choice. A young vital girl is missing from her dimension and without your help she will be stranded in this dimension forever and her own universe will cease to be the way it was intended to be._

 _What I require of you is…'_

Callaghan stopped reading and immediately crumbled the paper up with a scowl, tossing it behind him. He looked up at Riku and grumbled, "I don't know where you came from but I am in no position to help."

"We know you can't build it, but do you know where the plans are?" Riku asked him, anticipating the reaction Callaghan had given him.

Looking away, he replied, "That part of my life has ended. After that man you are acquainted with abandoned our invention I took matters into my own hand." He motioned his head towards the officers, "And you can see how that ended."

"You messed up, I get it." Riku told him plainly. "But that doesn't mean you can't help us now. All we need to know is where the plans are and we'll be on our way."

Callaghan glared up at him, "Why should I be obligated to do anything for you? I don't even know who you are. Just leave me be, I've already destroyed everything that mattered in my life."

"You don't know these people?" One of the officers in the corner of the room asked.

"Know them?" Callaghan asked, "I've never seen them before in my life."

One of the offices stepped forward and told Riku and Hinata, "We're going to have to ask you to leave."

Hinata stood up and stopped them, "Wait, just one more minute." She looked down at Callaghan and placed her hands on the table. "Professor, I understand why you did what you did. You lost your own daughter and wanted justice to be served. I get that. And yeah, what you did to get that justice was wrong and put a lot of people in danger; but the thing is that while I am talking with you right now I see a man who is filled with remorse. You obviously want to take what you did back and I have a feeling that you really aren't a bad guy." Slowly sitting back down, she continued. "There are a lot of things people do out of jealousy and vengeance that can bring them to a really low point in their life. But the important thing to remember is that even when you hit your lowest point you can get back out again. You have a second chance to be someone better, to be the person you were before you sought vengeance for you daughter." She motioned her head towards the mirror behind him, "There's a girl out there that can't get home. She probably has friends and family back at her home that feel the same way you did about your daughter. You have the power to help get her back to those people. Do you really want to do the same thing to her family that happened to you?"

Callaghan stared at Hinata for a moment, his once hardened face slowly softening. With a sigh, he mumbled, "Go to Akuma Island, you'll find everything there."

Hinata gave him a small smile and was about to reply, but was cut off by an officer.

"Alright, your minute is up." One of the officers spoke up. "You're going to have to leave."

"Ok," Riku replied, placing his hand on Hinata's shoulder.

Hinata nodded and stood up from her seat.

"Thank you." Callaghan told her quietly as she stood.

"For what?" She asked.

Callaghan gave a small sad smile before looking away and muttering, "Nothing, never mind." Looking back at them, he told them. "Tell the man you're working for that I said hello."

"We will." Riku told him, heading with Hinata towards the door.

As they reentered the hallway, they were escorted out by the officer they had met at the front desk. Once they were back in the lobby and got their thing back, Kitigin whispered to Hinata, "You weren't kidding. You guys can be persuasive."

Hinata shrugged and replied, "I told you." She looked over at Kitigin and smirked.

"How can we get to Akuma Island?" Riku asked Hiro and Fred.

Hiro exchanged a look with Fred, before telling them. "We can get you there. We'll just have to head back to the University first to get out ride."

"Why are you going through so much trouble for us?" Akira asked, stepping forward. "Just a few minutes ago you didn't even trust us to come here on our own. Now you're going to get us to a whole other island?"

"You need to get home." Hiro simply replied.

"Although, I for one still wouldn't mind knowing what exactly is going on with you guys." Fred spoke up, pointing at the three of them.

"I could say the same thing about you." Hinata replied with a small laugh. "You guys are obviously up to something too."

"It'll make sense one you get to the University." Hiro told her, motioning his head towards the exit to the station. "Now come on, we'll have to take the trolley again."

He turned and began walking out of the station, everyone following behind. They opened the doors and headed back out to the busy city outside. As they got onto the trolley, Riku stood beside Hinata's and grabbed her hand.

"Good job, by the way." He told her quietly. "If you hadn't spoken up I don't think Callaghan would have helped."

She was about to respond, but Kitigin cut in, "Yeah, do you actually feel that way… like about what you said to him?"

Hinata nodded and easily replied, "I do. I think that everyone deserves a second chance and that if they really want to change from the way they used to be, they should be able to." She felt Riku squeeze her hand as she spoke.

"But didn't you hear about what he did?" Akira pointed out. "He tried to destroy an entire town, just to get revenge on one guy. I'm glad he's in jail."

"You didn't see his face though when he came into the room." Hinata told her. "There are a lot of horrible people in the galaxy that don't regret anything they do; but there are others that get caught up in something and make some bad decisions when they aren't necessarily bad people. Callaghan thought what he was doing was right and felt he needed to bring justice since no one else would. He found out later that he was wrong and now he's paying the price for it… but I don't know. Just seeing him in there, I wish there was a way we could help him."

"I think you already did." Riku assured her.

They remained silent the rest of the ride and soon got off at their stop. All together they walked out of the busy town back to the University. They approached a large glass building in the middle of a vast grass field. Hiro pulled open one of the tall doors, allowing everyone to enter. Hinata looked up at the massive building entirely made of glass, shielding her eyes as the sun brightly reflected off the walls. Walking inside they saw the rest of Hiro's friends inside some sort of laboratory. Various machines and robots were scattered throughout the large room as the four teens worked diligently on different things. They each looked up when they heard the door to the room open and smiled when Hiro and Fred entered with the others in tow.

"Welcome back!" Honey Lemon greeted, a smile spread across her face as she pulled off goggles she was wearing over her eyes.

"So how'd the meeting go?" Wasabi asked, also leaving his project to address them.

"Really well actually." Hinata admitted with a small shrug. "We are about to head to Akuma Island."

Go-Go looked up from her project with widened eyes as the six friends exchanged concerned glances. "And why exactly are you heading to that place?" Go-Go asked, crossing her arms, still not trusting the group.

"Guys it's all right," Hiro assured them, putting up his hands to calm them down. "There's something at Akuma Island that can help Akira get home. I was thinking Baymax and I could take them there and help them out."

"Alright, I think we need an explanation before you go anywhere." Go-Go pointed out. "Why exactly do they need to go to Akuma Island? The last time we were there was when we first went after Callaghan."

"You guys went after Callaghan?" Akira asked. "I thought it was that Big Hero 6 group you mentioned."

"Explanation first," Go-Go stood firm.

Hinata sighed and stepped forward, "Alright fine. I'll explain everything. Basically the three of us are from another world. Akira and Kitigin are from an entire different dimension and they walked through a portal that led to our world. So Riku and I brought Akira here to find Callaghan because according to our employer he used to be researching a way to create a cross-dimensional portal; but like you told us, he's in jail. We got him to tell us where all his plans for the portal are and he told us they were on Akuma Island." She paused and looked at their shocked expressions.

"Is that a good enough explanation for you?" Akira asked, looking specifically at Go-Go.

"Woah!" Fred exclaimed, walking forward. "So you're like from a whole other world! That is sick!" He motioned towards his friends, "And you guys told me aliens weren't real."

"We aren't aliens." Riku sighed. "But look, we are in a hurry, can we get to Akuma Island now?"

Hiro looked at his friends and smiled, "Yeah," He nodded. "Let me just wake up Baymax."

"Baymax?" Kitigin asked, peeking out from Akira's hair.

"He's my brother's robot." Hiro explained while looking around him for something. Picking up a roll of duck-tape, he held it up and explained, "Someone has to say 'ow' first though."

"Ow?" Hinata repeated in a confused tone.

"He means seriously," Go-Go sighed, walking forward and grabbing the duck-tape from Hiro. Stretching out a piece she walked up to Hinata, "Hold out your arm."

Hinata reluctantly put out her arm and watched as Go-Go placed the sticky side of the tape against her bare skin. "What are you doing?" She asked right before Go-Go grabbed the edge of the tape and ripped it off her arm. "Ow!" She exclaimed in surprise, retracting her hand and looking at her now red stinging skin.

"Oh, don't be such a wuss." Go-Go told her with a small smirk before feeling the glare Riku was giving her.

"Why did you do that?" Akira asked, stepping forward to look at Hinata's arm.

The sound of something inflating caught their attention and across the room a red rectangular container on the floor opened along the top, allowing a white robot to emerge. The marshmallow looking robot grew several feet out of the container, a large plush body but with a small oval head with two black mechanical eyes staring at the group of teens.

Once it was fully grown, it slowly stepped out of its home and toddled forwards on its two stubby feet towards Hinata. It came to a stop a couple feet in front of her and lifted its four-fingered hand.

Motioning its hand in a small circle, it greeted in a kind voice, "Hello, I am Baymax; your personal healthcare companion. I was alerted to the need of medical attention when you said 'ow'."

"Oh…" Hinata slowly spoke, looking up and down at the robot in front of her. "Hello."

Baymax looked down as a small screen appeared on his chest showing two rows of faces, starting with a yellow smile going slowly to a red face of pain. Hinata looked at the screen as Baymax continued, "On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?"

"Uh… maybe a four?" Hinata shrugged, "It was more a surprise than anything." She cast a quick glare at Go-Go who smirked in response.

"I will scan you now." He told her, quickly looking her over. "Scan complete. You have a slight epidermal abrasion on your forearm." As he spoke the screen on his chest changed to a diagram of a human with a red mark along the forearm. Holding up one of his fingers, he stepped forward. "I suggest an anti-bacterial spray."

Hinata nodded, and reluctantly allowed Baymax to take her arm to spray a mist of anti-bacterial spray. "Thanks," She told him, as the spray came out of his finger. She glanced over at Riku and motioned her head towards Baymax, "What do you think of this? We should get a robot nurse back home."

Riku smiled and told her, "I don't think DiZ would appreciate that."

"You have been a good girl." Baymax interrupted, pulling back his hands from Hinata, "Here's a lollipop." He told her holding up a blue lollipop.

Hinata's eyes lit up as she grabbed the candy, quickly putting it in her mouth with a smile. "Thanks!" She told him

Baymax nodded and turned towards Hiro and greeted. "Hello Hiro. Is there another mission?"

"Yeah, we have to get to Akuma Island." Hiro told him.

"Wait," Akira interrupted, "How is a robot nurse going to get us to an island?"

"Along with my medical protocol I am also equipped with various forms of martial arts and flying capabilities." Baymax happily explained, turning towards Akira and looking her over. "My scans indicate a rise in your adrenaline and cortisol levels; often found in cases of stress."

Akira's cheeks barely blushed as she quickly glanced at the people around her and defended, "Of course I'm stressed. I'm stuck with a bunch of strangers in a different universe."

She stiffened and tightened her muscles as Baymax walked forward and awkwardly wrapped his plush arms around her for a hug. "You will be alright." He told her, patting her head, "There, there."

Akira's face was red with embarrassment as she quickly pushed him away, "Ah, yeah thanks." Darting her eyes away as Hinata and Kitigin giggled.

Chuckling, Hiro grabbed Baymax's arm, "Alright Baymax, let's suit up." He glanced at Hinata and told her, "We'll be right back. You guys can go ahead and wait for us out front."

Hinata nodded, and took the candy out of her mouth as Hiro and Baymax left the room. "So I guess we'll see you around then." She told Hiro's friends. "Sorry for sort of barging in today."

"I'm just thankful we finally know what's going on." Wasabi admitted with a shrug. "Although, I'm still just as confused."

With a small chuckle, Hinata agreed, "Yeah, it's kind of complicated."

"We should get out front to wait for Hiro." Riku reminded them, wanting to get a move on.

"Right," Hinata agreed, waving to her new friends. "Well, see you guys."

They waved back and gave them small smiles as Hinata followed Riku and Akira out of the University. Walking out of the glass building, Hinata looked around at the fields of green grass surrounding them. She looked over at Riku standing next to Akira, both of them with stern expressions on their face; it was obvious that both of them were beyond eager to get a move on.

"You guys alright?" She asked, walking up to them.

Akira sighed, "Yeah, I'm just glad we're getting to this island. I hope Callaghan was telling the truth."

"I think he was." Riku spoke up. "He didn't really have much of a reason to lie about it."

A strong gust of wind interrupted their conversation and shielding their faces, they looked up to see Baymax flying towards them wearing a slick red suit of armor, masking his otherwise cuddly complexion. The three of them stumbled backwards as Baymax landed on the grass in front of them with Hiro firmly on his back. Once they landed, Hiro jumped off of his back and took off a purple helmet that was over his head.

Holding it under his arm, he smirked, "Like my ride?"

"Did you make that armor?" Hinata asked, walking forward while examining Baymax's new look.

"Sure did, designed it myself." He explained proudly. "We can ride Baymax to Akuma Island. All of you can get on his wings."

With Hiro's instruction, the three of them situated themselves on the red wings; Hinata with Akira on one side and Riku on the other. Once everything was ready, Hiro got onto Baymax's back and instantly flew they group into the sky. A cold rush of wind brushed past them as they took off towards the sky. The city of San Fransokyo quickly shrunk, the lights from the buildings creating an array of sights getting smaller by the second. Soon they could see the sea in the distance that led to Akuma Island. Akira looked down at the world around them, feeling Kitigin curled up on her shoulder.

"This is amazing." Akira whispered to Kitigin. "We would never see anything like this back home."

Within thirty minutes Baymax began to decelerate and landed softly on an island that was made up of concrete. An old beat up building stood in the middle of the area and a chain-linked fence surrounded the perimeter.

"Well this place seems welcoming." Akira muttered, looking around as she got off Baymax's wing.

"Yeah, it used to be a classified base." Hiro explained, jumping off of Baymax and walking forward to lead the way. "Now it's just abandoned."

"Where do you think Professor Callaghan hid the plans for the portal?" Hinata asked, coming up beside Riku and grabbing his hand.

"We'll have to take a look around inside." Riku replied, giving a small smile to her as she interlaced her fingers with his. "I'm going to guess it won't be too hard to find, considering the place is supposed to be abandoned."

Hinata nodded and they followed Hiro towards the old building, entering through a misshapen hole in the wall that looked to have been cut open. Long hallways met them as they entered; noticing pieces missing from the walls and ceiling from decay. They went forward, looking through each doorway to see if they spotted anything suspicious.

"Last time I was here I found remnants of an old science experiment to create a portal that would teleport one object from one place to another in an instant." Hiro explained.

"That's the experiment where Professor Callaghan lost his daughter, right?" Hinata asked to clarify.

"Yeah." He replied shortly.

"So are those the plans we're looking for then?" Kitigin asked, poking out from Akira's hair.

Hinata shook her head, "I don't think so. I'm pretty sure Callaghan was working with DiZ after that incident, trying to create a portal that would get one person from one dimension to another."

"So like the portal that lost his daughter but to a different dimension." Akira pieced together. "Did he think his daughter got lost in another dimension?"

"Well that is actually what happened." Hiro informed them. "Baymax and I found Abigail in some weird cross dimension."

"But why would Callaghan hide his work at the same place he lost his daughter?" Akira asked.

"This place is supposed to be abandoned." Riku pointed out. "And his portal probably used a lot of the same materials as the other experiment."

Akira was about to respond, but Baymax interrupted. "My scans indicate that there is a lower level." He informed them.

"A lower level?" Hinata repeated, looking around, "That would be a good place to hide his research. How do we get to it?"

Baymax stopped walking for a moment and a small screen appeared over his eyes. After a few seconds, he replied, "An entrance is unknown." Holding up a finger, he added, "However, another solution has presented itself."

Hiro nodded with a smile and ordered, "Baymax, rocket fist."

"Please stand back." Baymax told them, waiting for the group to be a safe distance away, before clenching one of his hands into a fist and aiming towards the floor.

Along the sides of the armored arm, four small rockets came out of small hatches. The backs of the rockets lit up a bright yellow and in an instant his arm flew towards the floor, destroying the concrete in a loud blast. When the dust settled, a large circular hole led from their floor to a door area below.

Baymax stood safely at the edge of the hole and recalled his fist before informing the others, "There is now an entrance to the lower level."

"Good job, Baymax," Hiro told him, looking down the hole.

"Anyone have a light?" Hinata asked, also looking down at the darkness below.

"I've got it." Akira told her, holding out her hand and clenching it into a fist. A dark blue and purple glow began emanating around her hand and when she opened her finger, the same color flame appeared in her palm.

"Dark Fira." Riku recognized the spell, clenching his hand and summoning a slightly bigger flame in his hand."

"Dark Firaga…" Akira noted, looking at the larger flame in his hand. "How did you manage to learn that advanced darkness spell?"

"Long story." He shortly told her.

Hinata cleared her throat, interrupting their exchange, "Alright magic users; go scope out the lower level. Hiro and I will keep looking around in case we find any other suspicious places."

"Alright," Riku nodded, "Be careful."

"I always am." She told him with a smile before turning away to walk off with Hiro and Baymax.

 *****Author's Note: Akira and Kitigin belong to Spirit of Writing. One more part! *****


	4. Portals in Twilight Town Pt 4

Portals to Twilight Town

Part 4

Hinata walked through the long hallways beside Hiro and Baymax in silence as they looked in every room they passed; unsure of what exactly they were looking for. Unsettling creaking sounds echoed through the building and every once in a while Hinata would spin her head around, thinking she heard something rustling behind them; but nothing would be there.

"I wonder if the others have found anything." Hiro spoke up, breaking the silence.

"Riku will probably call me if they do." Hinata replied, reaching into a small pocket in her vest and pulling out her silver communication device. Once Hiro noticed the contraption, she placed it back in her vest and looked up ahead. "It looks like up ahead the hall splits into two different directions."

"Do you want to try splitting up?" He asked.

She nodded, "Yeah, we can cover more ground that way."

"Will you be alright by yourself?"

"Yeah," She smirked, "I can take care of myself; plus I don't think there is much here that could hurt us, anyways."

"Alright," He replied, "Baymax and I will head to the right. If we don't find anything let's just meet back up with Riku and Akira."

"Sounds good." She agreed, already turning to the left to head down the hall. Putting up her hand she gave them a small wave. "See you soon."

"Yeah, see ya." Hiro called back, heading his own way with Baymax.

Hinata walked along the empty hall, looking up at the flickering lights on the ceiling. The entire place was giving her the chills and almost reminded her of the machine underworld on Treasure Planet with how desolate it was. She slid open every metal door she passed, glancing inside the rooms that were mostly filled with rows of beds and tables; no doubt where the scientists stayed when the original purpose of the base had been in use. Except now everything was empty and dusty as pieces of the ceiling rained down on the floor periodically. Curiosity getting the best of her, Hinata entered one of the rooms with rows of bunkbeds lined against the walls as she spotted a door on the far end of the room. Two stone pillars stood in the room, supposedly supporting the integrity of the building. As she took a step into the center of the room the floor beneath her foot creaked and small cracks instantly appeared in the cement flooring. She instantly stopped, waiting for the ground to stop rumbling and was about to turn back to the exit of the room, but the familiar sound of Heartless appearing made her freeze. Slowly, she turned back around to see a large group of Shadow Heartless around her. Without hesitation she activated her blades and readied for a fight.

"I should have expected to see you guys here." She told them and as she spoke, more and more Heartless began appearing. As the room filled up, the floor began to gradually crack more and more. Hinata glanced down at the breaking concrete and took a couple steps back towards the exit of the room. "I should go." She ordered herself.

Deactivating her blades, she turned around to run out of the room, but was stopped mid-step as a whole new group of Heartless blocked her exit. Soldiers clanked their sharp red claws together as they twitched in front of her and behind them stood a single Large Body Heartless, already pounding its oversized hand against its round stomach.

Hinata cleared her throat and stepped back, examining the group around her. "Alright, this is not good." She mumbled to herself, warily looking down at the floor as it continued to creak and slowly break apart. "Why did they all show up here?" She asked, glancing back up at the dozens of enemies in front of her.

Without notice, the Shadow Heartless behind her pounced into action; clawing at her with their small hands. Hinata instinctively activated her blades and rolled out of the way of their attack; slicing them as she got back to her feet. She quickly ran towards the large group of the Shadows and swiftly began taking them out in stride. The floor scraped with every movement she made and Hinata noticed the cracks in the floor growing exponentially in size. Leaning her back against the bar of one of the bunkbeds, she quickly looked around the room seeing that a majority of the Shadows had been dealt with. The Large Body still blocked her exit but the Soldiers were beginning to charge. They sloppily flung their red claws in front of their metal faces, clanking their boots against the cement as they ran. Hinata regained her breath and pushed off the bed, taking on the new enemies as quickly as she could. With her back turned to the exit, she held off a large group of both the Shadows and Soldiers; but then the ground began to loudly rumble as the Large Body got ready to charge.

Hinata's heart momentarily stopped as she spun around just in time to see the creature barreling towards her. With every step, the frail floor cracked upon impact and the room shook. Knowing its weak point, Hinata rolled out of the way and prepared to slash her blades against its back; but as the Heartless passed her the ground finally gave way and crumbled beneath her. Letting out a surprised scream, Hinata fell out of the room. She deactivated her blades in a gut reaction and reached up her hand just in time to be able to grasp the edge of floor that was still intact. Dust and rubble fell around her into the dark level below as she held onto the ledge by the tips of her fingers. With a shaking breath she brought up her other hand and struggled to pull herself up. When her forearms were back in the room, she lifted her head up to see the group of Heartless staring at her through their yellow glowing eyes.

"Hey guys, how are ya?" She asked them in a sarcastic tone, trying to figure out what to do. She looked at the group and noticed that the Big Body was no longer among them. "It must have fallen with the floor." She guessed, trying to pull the rest of her body back up; but as she did, the floor she was grasping began to flake and break apart.

Leaning her head against the edge, she deeply sighed. Pulling back one of her hands from the ledge, she tried to maneuver her hand into her vest pocket to grab her communication device. She brought it out in front of her and pressed the blue button in the center of the contraption so she could contact Riku. As the device dialed however, the Heartless decided it was a good time to make their new attack. Hinata noticed their intentions and quickly darted her eyes around, trying to figure out what to do. A Soldier Heartless ran up first and with its metal boot, kicked the communication device off the edge, making it fall to the room below.

"No, no no!" Hinata yelled, as she watched her one way to contact Riku fall out of sight.

Activating one of her blades, she firmly held one of her hands on the ledge and swung her other armed hand towards the Heartless; trying to keep them back. The movement caused the edge of the concrete she was holding onto to crack which in turn loosened her hold.

With widened eyes, she watched her hand slowly slip away from the ledge and in an instant; she was freefalling to the darkness below. Holding out one of her hands, she pressed the button on the side of her gauntlet, shooting out the hook-shot towards one of the pillars in the room above. The hook instantly shot out of her gauntlet and stuck into the center of the stone column; pulling the wire of the shot tight and stopping Hinata mid-fall. Hinata let out a sigh of relief and was about to press the button on her glove again to bring her back to the room above; unfortunately though, the moment of peace was short lived. The bottom of the pillar began to crack and before Hinata knew what was happening, the entire column collapsed; sending her back to her free-fall but this time bringing the stone along with her.

Hinata let out a scream as she fell, unsure of how long the fall was going to be or if she would even live through it. Her thoughts were interrupted as her back landed hard against the ground of the next floor. Small rocks and pieces from the room above pierced into her back as her breath momentarily left her body. She gritted her teeth, trying to keep herself from letting out a loud cry of pain; but was unable to keep it back as the pillar landed beside her, pinning her wrist to the floor.

"Riku!" She screamed out, holding onto the hope that he could somehow hear her. Holding back the tears that were stinging the corner of her eyes, she continued to call, "Hello!? Can anyone hear me?"

A few feet away from her, she spotted her communications device as it began to glow a bright blue and vibrated to signify that someone was trying to call her. Reaching out her free hand, she tried to grab it; but it was barely out of reach.

Riku looked worriedly at the device in his hand as he tried to contact Hinata. He stood beside Akira in a white lab they had found while exploring the lower level. "She still isn't answering." He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"She probably just doesn't notice it ringing!" Kitigin offered, trying to ease his worry.

"That's not like her though." He replied, placing the device into his coat pocket. "She tried calling me earlier, but when I picked up she wasn't there." He glanced back towards the way they came from. "Something's wrong. I'm going to go find her." Without waiting for a reply, he quickly began walking away.

"Riku, wait!" Akira called after him, waiting for him to reluctantly come to a stop, before assuring him. "Hiro and Baymax are with her; she's probably fine." Motioning her hand towards a computer beside her, she reminded him, "We just found Callaghan's work. We need to start working on the plans."

"Look, I know you want to get home as soon as possible," Riku told her, "But if something happened to Hinata…"

"She can take care of herself!" Akira pointed out. "You know a lot more about this scientific stuff than I do. I won't be able to put this together without your help." She paused and noticed Riku's apprehension. With a sigh, she added, "Look, if she isn't back in a half hour we'll go look for her together, okay?"

Riku sighed and nodded, "Alright." With hesitation, he turned back around and headed back to the computer beside Akira.

The lab looked eerily similar to DiZ's work space back at the mansion in Twilight Town. The computer in front of them was unlike anything they had seen yet in the rest of the building; with multiple screens layered above the other. A large metal ring stood behind them seemingly half-way finished as stray wires and pieces were sticking out of it. When they had first walked into the room, the lights immediately came on and the computer sparked to life. On the lit screens were blueprints for the metal ring behind them. Riku examined the screens, trying to make sense of what still needed to be done.

"I don't really know where to start." He admitted.

"I bet Hiro would know!" Kitigin pointed out. "He did make that armor for Baymax. Maybe he knows about this type of stuff."

Akira sighed, "Alright, let's go find him then." She nudged Riku. "I guess we get to go look for your girlfriend after all."

"Yeah," He shortly replied, already leading the way out of the lab, back the way they came.

Not a word was spoken between them as they made their way back to the main level. As they climbed out of the lower floor, they saw Hiro and Baymax approaching them. Riku quickly stood up and crossed his arms and Akira climbed up beside him.

"Oh, we were just about to go look for you!" Kitigin chimed.

"Yeah, we found the lab." Akira told them.

"Great!" Hiro smiled.

"Where is Hinata?" Riku asked them.

Hiro pointed behind him, "We reached a place where the hall split into different directions, so she suggested we split up and meet back here. Baymax and I didn't find anything on our end and if you guys found the lab, she'll probably be back soon too."

"I'm going to go look for her." Riku replied and was about to walk off, but was stopped when Akira grabbed his arm.

"Riku, seriously, chill out." Akira told him, feeling the slight glare Riku gave her in return even though a black sash covered his eyes. "Go back with Hiro to the lab and help him with the portal. You'll be more help than me."

"She isn't answering any of my calls or calling back," Riku reminded her, "I know something is wrong."

"Alright, fine!" She lightly groaned and gave in. "Kitigin and I will go looking for her."

"I may be of assistance as well." Baymax spoke up, walking forward. "If Hinata is in any danger, my medical protocols may be required."

Akira nodded, "Alright, sure." She looked back at Riku. "There, is that good enough for you?"

Riku glanced between Akira and the hallway Hinata went down. With a sigh, he pushed Akira's hand off his arm and resigned, "Fine." Reaching into his other coat pocket, he pulled out another communication device. "But keep this on you in case something goes wrong."

Akira took the device and looked down at it before asking, "How many of these to you carry?"

"Only one extra." He told her, before adding, "Make sure Hinata's safe. She has a habit of getting herself into trouble."

"Don't worry Romeo," She groaned, turning around to walk down the hall with Baymax. "I'll make sure your girlfriend's safe."

As they walked away, Kitigin whispered, "Why are you acting like that to him? I think its sweet he's worried about Hinata."

Akira sighed and replied quietly, "I don't know, for some reason his overprotective attitude is just rubbing me the wrong way."

"Do you think you might be jealous?" She asked.

A light blush appearing on her cheeks, Akira defended, "What? No! I just don't think I would like a guy to be that protective over me. What's there to be jealous of?"

"Oh, ok, sorry I asked." Kitigin replied, hiding away in Akira's hair to hide the small smile on her face.

"My scans have located Hinata." Baymax interrupted their conversation. "Her blood pressure and adrenaline is elevated. I suggest haste."

"Alright then, lead the way." Akira told him, following after Baymax as he toddled along. The longer they walked, the more worried she became. "What did you mean that her blood pressure was elevated? Is she injured?"

"From this distance my scans are unable to make such prognosis." He explained. "The levels of her blood pressure indicate high stress; however, that is the extent of my knowledge."

"I hope she's alright." Kitigin spoke up.

"Me too," Akira agreed, "I thought Riku was just being overbearing… but maybe he was right."

They walked along with Baymax in silence until they entered the room Hinata had been in earlier. Akira stopped mid-step when she saw the crushed floor in front of her. Looking up from the ground she saw the group of Heartless on the other side of the room. They stood along the edge of the pit staring down at the lower floor but didn't move from their spots.

Baymax began walking forward, but Akira put her arm out in front of him and stopped him. "Don't go near those things." She told him.

"But Hinata is here." He told her simply.

"Let me take care of these guys first." She replied, holding out her hand and summoning Dreams Will.

She took a step forward and a loud crack of the floor caught the Heartless' attention. As a group their yellow eyes shot up towards Akira. They instantly began making their way around the edge of the hole in the floor towards the group as Akira readied her weapon.

"Akira," Kitigin told her quickly, "I can sense Hinata now that we're close to her. She doesn't have much health left."

"You and Baymax get to her," Akira ordered her, "I'll keep the Heartless busy."

Kitigin nodded and jumped from Akira's shoulder to Baymax's. As she situated herself on his shoulder, she asked him. "Where is Hinata?"

"She is in the room below." Baymax informed her, toddling forward as Akira ran ahead and began fighting the Heartless with magic blasts.

When he reached the edge of the floor he stood straight as his feet lit up with small rockets; lifting them off the ground. With ease, they lowered into the darkened room below and landed on the dusty ground. Once there, an orange glow began emanating from Baymax's interior, dimly lighting the room. Kitigin jumped off of Baymax's shoulder to the ground and gasped when she spotted Hinata unconscious on the ground. Dust and rubble surrounded her and a large stone pillar pinned her right arm to the ground.

"Hinata?" Kitigin asked worriedly as she scampered onto Hinata. She went to her face and lightly swatted her paw against her cheek.

With a quiet groan, Hinata slowly opened her eyes and coughed before asking, "K-Kitigin?"

"Riku sent us to find you!" She told her, looking her over. "What happened?"

"On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?" Baymax interrupted, coming forward without his armor chest plate to show the emotion screen from earlier.

Hinata blinked a few times to try to figure out what exactly was going on before stammering, "I…um… like over a hundred?"

"That is impossible." Baymax told her, looking over at the column. "How did this pillar come to be on top of your arm?"

"It fell on me." She told him, feebly trying to pull her arm out before letting out a small cry of pain from moving.

"Do not move." Baymax ordered her as he placed his hands under the stone and easily lifted it off the ground. Tossing the stone away, he turned back towards her. "I will scan you now… scan complete. You have multiple injuries along your back, a minor concussion, and a dislocated wrist."

"I'm surprised your wrist isn't broken!" Kitigin added.

"I think the metal of my gauntlet took most of the pressure from the pillar." Hinata told her, beginning to get back to reality. Clenching her teeth, she slowly pushed herself to sit up despite the orders Baymax had given her.

"I suggest relocating your wrist before addressing any other injuries." Baymax told her, walking forward and reaching for her arm.

"Isn't that going to hurt?" Kitigin asked.

"You have no idea." Hinata told her, slowly and carefully taking off her gauntlet.

"Is Hinata alright?" Akira called from the floor above. "I took care of the Heartless!"

"Yeah, I'm alright." Hinata replied while keeping her eyes averted as Baymax grabbed her arm.

"Oh good," Akira replied, jumping down and landing safely beside them.

"What?" Hinata asked in near disbelief. "How did you just jump down here like that? That's over a twenty foot drop! I'm lucky I- OW!" She cried out as Baymax relocated her wrist.

Akira winced when she saw Baymax put her bones back into place before explaining. "Something to do with the magic inside me. I can jump from a three story building and land just fine. Riku can do it too."

Hinata frowned as she rubbed her wrist. "Well I knew Riku could do it; but I always assumed it was because of the darkness inside him." She sighed, "You magic-users get all the luck."

Baymax went behind Hinata and began carefully removing the rocks implanted into her back; spraying antiseptic spray over each wound, making Hinata cringe from the sting. Kitigin went up beside her and cast a small healing spell on her to help with the pain.

"So… what happened?" Akira asked, sitting in front of Hinata as Baymax fixed her up.

Hinata gave Kitigin a thankful smile before sighing, "Basically I got ambushed by a ton of Heartless and then one of those Big Body ones barged in and made the floor crumble beneath me. I tried using my hook-shot to get back up, but that only made that pillar fall with me and pinned my arm to the ground."

Akira shuddered, "Ouch. That doesn't sound pleasant."

With a small scoff, Hinata replied, "Yeah, I've had better days." She shrugged, "But I've also had worse, so I guess I can't complain too much."

"Riku's been really worried about you!" Kitigin told her. "He wanted to come find you himself, but Akira made him stay behind to help Hiro with the portal."

"You guys found it?" Hinata asked as a smile appeared on her face. "Well that's a relief."

Akira smiled back, "Yeah, Riku and I found it when we were exploring the lower lever. Then he kept trying to call you to let you know, but you never answered. That's when he went all crazy."

Hinata chuckled, "Yeah, he can be a little overprotective sometimes; but I don't mind it. He's usually right about something being wrong though." She averted her eyes to her communications device a few feet away from them. "My device fell before I did and I couldn't reach it whenever Riku tried to call."

"Well I better let him know you're safe." Akira told her, standing up and pulling out the device Riku had given her.

Within seconds of pressing the blue button, Riku's hologram appeared. "Did you find her?" He asked the moment the call connected.

Akira slightly frowned that he didn't even bother greeting her, but forced a smile before replying, "Yeah, she's alright. Baymax and Kitigin are patching her up then we'll head back."

"Patching her up?" He repeated, "What happened? Where is she?"

Akira rolled her eyes and interrupted him, "We'll be back in like ten minutes, alright? Then you can ask her yourself. How is the portal coming along?"

"It's almost done!" Hiro's voice went over the speaker even though his hologram never appeared.

"Yeah," Riku shortly added. "Not much left."

"Alright, see you…" She started, but scowled when Riku abruptly hung up. With an exasperated sigh, she went back to Hinata and sat down in front of her. "That boyfriend of yours is something else, you know that?" She complained in an annoyed tone.

Hinata eyed her as she sat down in front of her, before giving her a small knowing smile.

"What?" She asked, noticing the look.

"Nothing," Hinata shrugged. "I was just wondering if there is a Riku in your universe."

Akira gave her a strange look, "I don't know… why?"

"Maybe you should find him." Hinata told her. "And me too."

She shrugged, "I already have enough stuff to worry about."

"Like what?" Hinata asked.

"Like trying to find my brother, for one." She admitted, looking away. "I lost him…"

Hinata reached forward and grabbed Akira's hand. "I'm sorry… I lost my sister a few years ago."

"You did?" She glanced back at Hinata, slightly uncomfortable that her hand was being held.

"Yeah," Hinata nodded, "Kairi and I got separated when our home world was destroyed. We both ended up on the same world… but for some reason we arrived their eight years apart. By the time we met again we were almost the same age; when before I was older by nine years."

"Wow…"She muttered. "But you're together now right?"

"No, we're separated again." Hinata sighed, "But at least I know she's safe now. Just like I'm sure your brother will be."

Akira gave her a small smile. "Thanks… Could you let go of my hand now?"

"Hmm?" Hinata asked, before looking down at their clasped hands. "Oh! Yeah, sorry." She quickly retracted her hand and sheepishly smiled.

"The rocks have been removed from her back." Baymax informed her, standing up and walking to be in front of the group. "I suggest we head back to Hiro before I continue your medical treatment."

"Good idea." Hinata agreed, about to push herself up; but stopped herself short when her wrist twanged in pain. "Uh… can someone help me up?" As the words left her mouth, Baymax reached down and easily picked her up off the ground; cradling her in his armored arms. "Oh… uh, thanks Baymax. I think I can walk now."

"You should rest," He replied, "I will carry you back to Hiro."

Hinata was about to object, but feeling a sudden spike of pain she resigned, "Alright then. Carry on."

Baymax lit up the rockets under his feet and lifted them back up to the above level. Kitigin scurried back onto Akira's shoulder before she easily climbed the rubble to join the others. The walk went with small chatter and soon they reached the entrance to the lower level that Baymax had created earlier. They climbed down and soon approached a tall doorway that led into a vast room. It was unlike the old broken building surrounding them and was instead intact and brilliantly held together. Hinata looked around the room at the computer along the wall and the towering metal ring on the other end of the area. Examining the ring, she spotted Riku at the bottom of it, holding a large object in his hands while trying to attach it to the portal.

"We're back!" Akira called out as they entered the lab.

Riku immediately shot his gaze up from the ring towards the entering group and putting down the object in his hands he rushed over to Hinata. A smile appeared on her face and she wriggled out of Baymax's arms. Her legs felt limp for a moment when her feet touched the ground, causing her to slightly stumble. Riku reached forward and helped her steady her balance, letting out a breath of relief when he saw she was alive and well.

"You had me worried." He told her as he held her in his arms. "What happened?"

"I got attacked by Heartless and the floor beneath me fell through." She told him, leaning her head against his shoulder for a moment before pulling away. "I'm fine though, thanks to them." She motioned her hand towards Baymax and Akira. "Just a little beat up."

"See, I told you she was fine." Akira reminded him, placing her hands on her hips.

Riku nodded and smirked, "Yeah, you were right."

"Hinata," Baymax interrupted, stepping forward. "You are still in need of medical attention."

"Alright," She nodded, turning back to Baymax so he could continue fixing her up.

Akira turned away from the group and walked towards Hiro as he typed away at the computer. "So you said it's almost done?" She asked him once she was beside him.

"Yeah," He replied quickly, not looking away from the screens. "Riku and I got the rest of the materials on the portal. All we need to do now is put in that Star Shard; whatever that is."

"A Star Shard?" She repeated.

"You'll have to ask Riku about it. It's definitely not a material found here in San Fransokyo." He shrugged, pressing a button on the keyboard before finally looking towards Akira. "You ready to head home?"

Akira sighed, "You have no idea."

Hiro chuckled in response. "Yeah, I couldn't even begin to imagine being stuck on some unknown world. You held up pretty good if you ask me."

"Thanks." She quietly replied.

They stood in an awkward silence for a couple seconds before Hiro turned and called, "Hey Riku, I think we can put in that Star Shard now!"

Riku left Hinata's side and reached into his coat pocket, pulling out the bright blue gummi. "Akira has to be the one that puts it in." He informed them as he approached.

"Me?" She repeated, "Why me?"

"According to DiZ, this gummi has some sort of telepathic powers to it." He explained almost unsure. "If used correctly it's supposed to take you where your hearts wants to be."

"So what… when I put it in I'm supposed to think of home?" Akira clarified. "But what if the portal ends up taking me somewhere else?"

"Is there another place your heart wants to be?" Hinata asked, calling over from where Baymax was attending to her wounds.

"I… guess not." She admitted, "At least not anywhere more than home." Quickly shaking her head, she held out her hand. "Alright, give me the Star Shard." When Riku placed the gummi in her hand, she asked. "Where am I supposed to put it?"

Hiro typed away of the computer and within a few keystrokes a small compartment opened on the metal ring. "In there." He told her.

"So just put it in and think of home." Akira told herself as she walked forward.

Nearing the metal ring, she stopped in front of the opened compartment. She knelt down and tightly closed her eyes, imagining the vast green fields of Seikastu Valley. When she had a clear picture in her mind she held out the Star Shard and placed it inside the slot. A spark of electricity startled her eyes open as the connection between the portal and the shard had been made. She quickly scrambled to her feet and stood back, watching as the seams around the ring lit up a bright blue. With a whoosh, the inside of the ring filled up with what looked like a blue liquid, giving the surface a watery look.

The group stared at the newly formed portal in awe. Hinata left Baymax and walked up beside Akira.

"So this is it." She told Akira, "You finally get to go home."

"I just… walk through that?" Akira asked. "And I'll be home?"

"If DiZ and Callaghan are to be believed." Riku told her.

Taking a deep breath, Akira nodded, "Alright. I better do this quick then." Turning towards Hinata she gave her a small smile. "Thanks… for everything. You and Riku really went out of your way to help me even though you know next to nothing about me."

Hinata shrugged, "Well we were free today and didn't have anything better to do." She broke into a smile at the end of her sentence and pulled Akira into a hug. "I know you don't like these, but I can't help it."

Akira patted her back before pulling away, "No, it's fine." She glanced over at Riku as he came up beside Hinata and smiled. "I guess this is goodbye then… Sorry if I was being rude before, I was…"

"Don't worry about it." Riku interrupted her. "I get it." He rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled, "Try to be more careful when you get back home. Don't wander into random portals anymore."

With a scoff, she put up her hands, "Oh believe me, this is never happening again." They stood in silence for a moment before Akira turned to say goodbye to Hiro and Baymax.

As she left, Kitigin jumped off Akira's shoulder and scampered over to Hinata. "I wanted to say goodbye too!" She told them.

Hinata smiled and knelt down to her level. "It was fun to meet a talking cat." She told her with a small laugh. "Thank you for all the help. It's pretty awesome that you can do magic."

Kitigin gave a small purr. "It was nice to meet you too! I know Akira was stressed, but I actually had a great time! Maybe we can come visit again someday!"

"Yeah, maybe." Hinata agreed, watching as she scurried back to Akira.

Once Kitigin was on her shoulder, Akira stood in front of the portal. She stared at the water complexion and warily held up her hands towards it. She glanced back at Hinata and Riku, letting her gaze linger a second longer on Riku. Giving them a smile, she took a deep breath and walked through the portal. A wet sensation covered her entire body as if she were jumping into a body of water. Within seconds the feeling suddenly vanished and was replaced with a soft warm breeze and the scent of cherry blossoms in the air. Akira reluctantly opened her eyes and gasped when she found herself back in Seikastu Valley. She stood in the center of a green grassy field and the sky was brilliantly blue with very few clouds above.

"We're home!" She exclaimed, giving a short jump for joy and laughing together with Kitigin. "I can't believe it actually worked."

Taking a deep breath to regain her composure, she looked up at the sky and closed her eyes; feeling the heat of the sun radiate off her skin.

"Akira!" A familiar voice called out to her.

Opening her eyes, Akira spun in place and smiled when she saw Sorin sprinting towards her. His green eyes were glowing as he ran ahead of their two other friends with a grin plain across his face. He reached her before the others and immediately wrapped his arms around Akira.

"We've been looking everywhere for you!" He told her, "This is out third time checking this field!"

Akira hugged him back for a moment, before pushing him away. "Oh please," She scoffed, "You know your big sis can take care of herself. I'm more worried about how you would have fared if I went missing."

Sorin crossed his arms and gave a small pout, "What? I would have been just fine on my own!" His annoyance quickly melted away as their other two friends reached them. The grin once again appearing, Sorin pointed out, "See Robin and Lucy? I told you we would find Akira today!"

Robin smirked and placed one of his hands on Akira's shoulder, using his other hand to ruffle his short black hair. "That was some disappearing act." He told her. "Care to tell us where you went?"

"I'm just glad you're safe." Lucy told her, playing with the ends of her light orange pigtails. "We were really worried."

Akira let out a breath of relief and unexpectedly pulled all of her friends in for a group hug.

"Alright, who are you and what have you done with Akira?" Robin asked as he was pulled into the embrace.

"I just missed you guys." She admitted, quickly releasing them and clearing her throat. "But I'm home now… And I've got quite the story to tell."

 ***** Author's Note: Finally finished! Just a reminder, Akira, Kitigin, Lucy, Robin, and Sorin all belong to Spirit of Writing.**

 **Poor Hinata, she is like my test crash dummy (You know the ones the put in cars to test crashing?) She always seems to get the short end of things. Anyways, next up is Riku and Hinata's first date. *****


	5. Start of a Relationship

**The Start of a Relationship**

 **Set Before the Events of the First Kingdom Hearts**

Riku walked along the dirt path leading up the tall hill on the island and took a deep breath of the salt-tinged air. He was the only one out on the road as the sun was barely peeking up from the horizon to start the new day. Small orange flowers were scattered along the sides of the path, beginning to unravel their petals and awaken from their slumber. Reaching a familiar neighborhood, Riku looked up at the rows of wooden homes. The glass windows in every home were darkened as the residents inside still slept away. He continued to walk, glancing absently as each house; mentally keeping count of how many he was passing before he reached his destination. He stopped in front of the sixth home; a one story building with light-blue planks of wood along the exterior. A small smile appeared on his face when he noticed a dim light emanating from the front room's window.

"Good, she's up." He mumbled to himself, feeling his heart beginning to beat just a little bit faster.

Pushing past a black metal gate, he walked past the front garden and jogged up the small set of stairs leading to the front door. He lifted his hand and quietly knocked on the brown door. Every second he waited his nerves gradually grew. Soon the doorknob turned and Hinata opened the door. She stood in front of him with a small smile. Her long red hair done up in a tall ponytail, falling to her waist. A turquoise blue tank shirt fell loosely over her chest and the color set off her golden eyes and complexion beautifully. The black pants tightly fit around her legs going down to a pair of white tennis shoes. Riku opened his mouth to compliment the way she looked but instead cleared his throat and went to business.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked her.

"Well good morning to you too Sunshine." She rolled her eyes and teased. Walking outside and closing the door behind her, she answered. "Yeah, let's get going."

Riku smirked at Hinata's teasing. He was picking her up so they could do some shopping for Kairi's birthday. Hinata wanted to pull together some sort of surprise party for her and had somehow roped him and Sora into it. Not that he truly minded though; Kairi was one of his best friends and he could always use an excuse to spend time with Hinata. Sora's job was to keep Kairi occupied the whole day while he and Hinata put everything together for the party later that afternoon.

Putting his hands in his pockets as they walked he asked, "So what do you want to buy?"

"I'm not really sure yet, I have never been to that party store in the strip mall, so I don't know what's there." Hinata admitted, "Have you ever been there?"

Riku shook his head, "Never had a reason too. I don't usually put together these types of things."

"We have to take the ferry to get to the strip mall right?" Hinata asked after they walked for a couple minutes in silence. "I think the store we need to get to is on Shima Island."

Riku nodded, "Yeah, I got you early enough that we should be able to get seats and won't have to stand the whole ride."

"I don't know, I kind of like being able to stand at the railing." Hinata shrugged, "The ocean breeze is really nice."

"Well we can stand if you want, but it's like a ten minute ride." He replied.

"I'm fine either way." Hinata smiled, "Thank you for coming with me. I know you weren't too excited to have to help with the planning."

"I don't mind that much." Riku admitted, "Not if it means I get to spend some time alone with you."

Her eyes momentarily widened and she felt her face warm with blush. Pushing a few stray strands of her long red hair behind her ear, she replied. "I'm glad we have some alone time too. It's been a while."

Riku rubbed the back of his neck and smirked, "Although, if you really feel bad about making me go shopping you could just pay me back by sparring with me later."

Laughing in response, Hinata agreed, "You're on! We'll see how fast we can finish the preparations."

They continued walking down the dirt path out of the neighborhood, chatting and laughing with each other until they reached the beach.

"Here we are." Riku spoke up as they approached the white and blue ferry.

Hinata watched the long boat bob up and down on top of the clear ocean water as Riku got the tickets from the wooden booth. It was mesmerizing really; it was mostly off white spare for a bright blue stripe going across it and a blue railing along the edge. Five rows of hard seats were in the center of it on top of a wooden planked floor.

Riku came back to her holding the tickets in his hand smiling, "You ready?"

Hinata smiled and nodded as she followed Riku onto the boat. He sat down in one of the seats in the front row while Hinata headed to the front and placed her hands around the railing. Riku watched as Hinata closed her eyes to feel the sea breeze. She had some odd appreciation for every new thing she saw on the island. It both bothered and intrigued him. He didn't understand how she could keep finding things she enjoyed and loved about the island even after being there for six months. To him, the longer he stayed on the island the more trapped he felt. To see someone else enjoying it so much was off putting to him; but he couldn't help but also smile that Hinata turned into something akin to a child when he would show her something new.

He began to wonder where he wanted to go with Hinata and not just as in actual places; but in their relationship. It had been almost six months since he admitted his feelings for her and their friendship hadn't changed in the slightest. At first he was fine with that, but he was beginning to ponder if he wanted something more. They got along well enough and just within the first month of knowing her she had become one of his best friends which just did not happen with him. His heart began to beat faster when Hinata peeked over her shoulder at him. That's when he knew; he didn't want to keep his feelings for Hinata hidden from everyone, he wanted to let everyone know she was his.

He smiled at Hinata as he stood up from his seat and began walking towards the front of the boat beside Hinata. Placing his hands tightly around the railing once he was next to her, he looked absently at shimmering ocean around them as small silver fish periodically leaped out of the water. The heat from Hinata's body was resonating into him as her arm brushed against his. Closing his eyes he tried to figure out what he should say. Now was as a perfect time as any to ask her, he just didn't know the right words.

Hinata lightly nudged him, "Are you alright?"

Opening his eyes, he turned around and leaned back on the railing. His hands still grasped the blue bars as he softly rocked back and forth on his heels. Looking down at his feet he muttered, "Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

When Hinata didn't answer right away he shot his eyes up towards her to see her once clear face reddened as she quickly avoided his gaze. "Do you even have to ask?" She asked in quieted voice, before forcing herself to look back at him. "Of course I do."

His eyes slightly widened at her response and he felt his cheeks heat up. Looking away, he thought of what he should say next. They stood in silence for a couple minutes both with flushed cheeks as the tension steadily began to rise. When Riku couldn't take it anymore he cleared his throat, "So… what do we do now?"

Without thinking, Hinata began to laugh. At first Riku gave her a weird look, but soon felt the humor the same way as her and joined in. Hinata chuckled, "We really are clueless about this stuff."

Riku scoffed quietly and looked embarrassed out at the ocean. "I guess we are."

After a moment of silence, Hinata noted, "So does this mean we are officially dating now?"

Shrugging, Riku said, "Yeah, I would think so, why?"

Grabbing her long hair and fiddling uncomfortably with it, she admitted, "Well, Kairi and Hana have been making bets on how long it would be until we started dating."

Embarrassed, Riku clung onto the railing. "What? Why were they doing that?" He asked incredulously. "And how did they know what was going on between us?" When Hinata didn't answer right away he sighed, "You've been telling them, haven't you?"

"Kairi found out about how I felt about you before I even told you." Hinata admitted, looking away to avoid his gaze.

Riku's eyes widened, "Really? How long did you like me before we told each other?"

Hinata shrugged, "As long as you I imagine. It wasn't until you grabbed my hand that night that I realized how I felt."

"What, did you go inside and tell Kairi that night?" Riku asked.

Slightly pushing him with her shoulder, she scoffed and confessed, "No, it was when we all went out to lunch at Daisy's Café. She noticed that you and I were acting strange and asked what was up."

"And you told her?" he asked in surprise.

"It's not like I'm very good at lying." She pointed out, "Plus it was nice to get it out. You didn't tell Sora?"

Crossing his arms and turning around to lean his back against the railing, he admitted, "I don't think Sora even knows we like each other."

"Oh," She whispered, "Did you not tell anyone?"

He shrugged, "I didn't have a reason to. You knew and that was all that mattered. Sora didn't need to know."

Looking down at her fidgeting hands she asked, "You aren't going to keep stuff from me are you?"

Riku glanced over at her and assured her, "I promise. I won't be like that with us."

"So… what do we do now?" She asked, accepting his answer. "Is there some initiation into a relationship thing we have to do?"

Chuckling in response he shrugged, "I don't think so… I think we just act the same way we have been. Just now everyone else can know that we like each other."

"And we can hold hands at the mall today?" She asked, holding out her hand.

Riku felt his heart jump as he looked down at her outstretched hand; suddenly feeling nervous. Reluctantly reaching forward and grabbing her hand, he stammered, "U-uh yeah. We can do that whenever you want now…"

Hinata smiled and admitted, "I'd like that."

They stood the rest of the ride in silence holding hands and quickly left the ferry when it had landed at the dock. A large stone courtyard made up a majority of the small island. Around the stone stood lines of different shops just opening for the day. Leading the way, Riku walked past a few clothing stores, stopping abruptly in front of the party place Hinata wanted to go to. The windows were decorated with large stickers of balloons and presents and along the top of the glass doors were red letters spelling out 'Party Planet'.

"Party Planet?" Hinata read aloud with a hint of amusement in her voice. "Seems a little small to be an entire planet."

"I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be a joke." Riku corrected her.

Hinata glanced over at him. "I know, I was just saying… are you alright?"

"Yeah," He told her quickly, shaking his head to clear his mind. "Just… suddenly nervous."

Lightly squeezing his hand, she assured him, "Don't worry, I am too honestly." Rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand, she assured him, "We'll figure out this whole dating thing; but let's try to make sure we don't overthink it. We're the same friends we were this morning, just holding hands." She shrugged with a small smile. When Riku only smiled in response, she motioned her head towards the shop. "Come on, we need to get stuff for the party."

"Right," He agreed, following her inside the shop.

Their nervousness was quickly brushed away as they combed through the aisles of the store searching for things to buy for Kairi's party. They argued on what theme they should go with; Riku wanting something simple and blue while Hinata wanted to go all out with decorations. They ended up meeting in the middle and eventually left with arms full of stuffed bags. Chatting about the different things they were going to put together when they got back to the main island; they took the ferry and made their way to the island clubhouse. It was a large hexagon building made of dark wood that stood in the center of the main neighborhood. Hinata had been saving up her money from a small part time job so she could rent out the building for Kairi's special day. Riku and Sora split the cost of paying for the supplies. As they entered the clubhouse, a large glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling immediately lit up. The room was bare but regal in looks, with hardwood flooring throughout the entire space.

Riku looked around as they walked inside and asked, "How much did this cost you?"

With a shrug, Hinata put down the bags in her arms and rubbed her hands together. "Let's just say I'm not doing this every year."

He chuckled I response and placed his bags on the ground as well. "Better get started with decorating. Knowing Sora by the time it passes lunch he won't know what else to do to keep Kairi busy."

Hinata laughed and then asked, "Speaking of lunch though; do you want to go eat something?"

"Like a date?" He asked, uncomfortably fidgeting his hands.

"Well not really." She replied, eyeing him. "We would have gotten lunch even if we weren't dating." She walked towards him. "Are you sure you're ready for us to be together? You've seemed really uncomfortable about it."

"Yeah of course I am." He stood up straight and shrugged nonchalantly. "I was just asking."

"Because if you're not ready, I don't mind waiting." She offered.

He shook his head and assured her, "Seriously, I was just asking."

Hinata sighed, "You know, if we are going to do this; you're going to have to start telling me how you're actually feeling."

"I am telling you," He defended, "I'm fine."

"Alright, fine." She resigned with a small huff. Grabbing his hand, she began walking towards the exit. "Then let's go on a lunch date."

Before they got to the exit, Riku asked. "Do we have to call it a date?"

"No, you can call it whatever you want." She shrugged with a tinge of annoyance in her voice, "Why does it matter?"

"Because I want our first date to be special." He blurted, blushing when Hinata looked at him surprised.

"You do?" She asked, stopping in her tracks as her frustration instantly vanished. "What did you have in mind?"

He averted his eyes and told her, "I don't really know yet; but I'll think of something. There has to be something fun to do in this place."

"I'm sorry…" she mumbled, taking a breath when Riku gave her a confused look. "I've been misjudging you today. I think us being in a relationship now is going to take some getting used to."

"Let's just get some lunch." He told her, leading the way again out of the clubhouse. "We can talk more when we've had some food."

They went out to lunch and then came back to the clubhouse to put together Kairi's party. Within the following hours they transformed the blank space into a fun celebration. Streamers and blue balloons were tastefully placed along the ceiling and walls. Round tables the clubhouse provided were set up, each with a different shade of blue table cloth as the center of the area was clear for dancing. Punch tables filled with different types of food were around the edge of the room as upbeat music was already playing through speakers hung on the wall. The two of them stood back and admired their work.

Hinata rested her head on Riku's shoulder. "Finally…"

Riku smiled and felt his heart race as Hinata leaned against him. Finding his voice, he told her, "Kairi's going to love it."

"I hope so." She admitted, fighting back a yawn. "I could go for a nap about now."

With a small chuckle, he reminded her, "But the party is about to start. People should be getting here any minute."

Grumbling under her breath, she resigned, "Alright, I'll stay awake. I'm just going to get myself a cup of coffee."

He felt a small amount of sadness as she pulled away from him to head to the clubhouse kitchen. His shoulder and arm were still warm from her touch. A sigh escaped him as he looked over everything they had just put together. "We make a good team." He muttered to himself with a smile.

His thoughts were interrupted when the door to the clubhouse swung open. He turned around to see Kairi's friends Tidus and Wakka walk in. Riku got along well enough with them and smiled as they came in.

"Hey," He greeted them.

"This is Kairi's party?" Tidus asked in near disbelief as he looked over the entire room.

"Ya man! This is amazin'!" Wakka agreed; his bright orange hair bouncing as he spoke.

"Hinata is mostly the one that put it together." Riku informed them.

"Is she here?" Tidus asked, instantly straightening out his yellow vest and fixing his hair. "Where is she?"

Riku gave a small frown at his reaction and for some reason suddenly felt a tinge of protectiveness spread through him. "She'll be out here soon." He told him shortly.

Wakka laughed and ruffled Tidus's blonde locks of hair. "Oh please man, I keep tellin ya that she isn't into younger guys."

Tidus's cheeks flushed, "Hey, you don't know that!" He stood up proudly and told him. "Besides, I'm feeling lucky today!"

His muscles tightening involuntarily, Riku tensed up and quickly turned around without saying anything. He walked straight towards the kitchen and entered to find Hinata stirring her new cup of steaming coffee. She looked up at him with a smile as she noticed him enter the room.

"Did some of the guests arrive?" She asked.

"Yeah a couple…" He stopped walking and looked her over. "Hey listen, I think you should go home and change."

She gave him a confused look and glanced down at her outfit. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing? I actually like this outfit; Kairi got it for me."

He rubbed the back of his neck and quickly corrected, "Never mind, it's fine. Just… don't leave my side tonight, alright?"

Hinata's cheeks flushed and she stammered, "Oh… alright. Why?"

"Just don't, okay?" He repeated.

Placing her cup on the counter, she walked towards him and crossed her arms. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Riku averted his eyes and was about to come up with a lie; but then glancing at Hinata he noticed the concerned look in her eyes. With a sigh, he confessed. "I just found out that some of the other guys around the island like you."

"Really?" She asked, her eyes momentarily widening.

"Well it was just Tidus… but I bet he isn't the only one." He continued his confession. "I guess I just never thought about it."

"Tidus?" She repeated not recognizing the name, "Oh wait, is he that one that fights with the same weapon you do in sparring class?"

Riku took a moment to realize what she was referring to and then chuckled, "Yeah, that's him. Is that seriously how you recognize him?"

"He doesn't fight very well." She remembered before blushing, "So wait… he likes me? I don't even know anything about him."

"That's what I heard." He told her.

"Why are you telling me about it?" She asked him.

"Well, because… I don't know." He stumbled over his words. "I was just worried I guess."

"Worried about what?" She asked. "I don't know anything about him other than what weapon he fights with… and that he isn't very good at it." She shrugged, "You don't have to worry about him."

"But he isn't the only guy though." He pointed out, not understanding why she didn't get what he was trying to say. "What about all the others guys that end up liking you?"

"What about them?" She asked.

He let out a slightly exasperated sigh and finally blurted, "I don't want any other guy thinking of you like that."

Hinata smiled and pushed some of her hair behind her ear before reaching forward for his hand. Holding it in hers, she told him. "Riku, you really don't have to worry about that. You can't make people change what they feel; but you don't have to worry about me." She waited for Riku to look up at her, before she continued. "You're…." She looked down at their clasped hands and took a deep breath. "You're the only one I want to be with. Those other guys can say or do whatever they want to get my attention; but they aren't going to change my mind. I mean, geez, we've liked each other for over six months and we are just now starting to date. If that doesn't show devotion I don't know what does."

Riku looked down at their held hands and let out a long breath. "You're right… I shouldn't be worried about that kind of thing. I just don't want them bothering you."

"Trust me; I can take care of myself." She assured him with a smirk.

He gave a small laugh, "Yeah I know." He looked up into her eyes and smiled. "Thanks. I don't know why I'm acting like this all of a sudden. I honestly wanted to punch Tidus in the face when I found out how he felt about you."

She snickered, "Yeah, try not to do that; especially before Kairi gets here. I spent a lot of money on this party, I don't want it ruined."

"I promise." He assured her. Giving her hand a small squeeze he asked, "Do you want to go on a date this next weekend?"

Hinata looked up at him surprised and blushed. "Uh… yeah, I'd love to. Where do you want to go?"

"I'll take care of it." He told her with a small smirk.

"Well alright." She replied, smiling back. They stared at each other for a moment, before Hinata cleared her throat, "We should probably get out there. We are the ones hosting this after all."

"You never drank your coffee." He noted, motioning his head towards the cup on the counter behind them.

She glanced back at it and shrugged, "I'm awake now." She turned back to him and smiled, "Do you still want me to stay by you tonight?"

"Oh… um never mind that. Just forget I said anything." He quickly told her. "You can go wherever you want."

Hinata chuckled, "Well alright. I probably won't leave your side much anyways; wouldn't want Tidus sweeping me away if I wandered too far off." She glanced over at Riku and saw the unappreciated look on his face and she broke into a short laugh. "Sorry, I couldn't help it."

Shaking his head and attempting to hide the smile on his face, Riku led the way out of the kitchen towards the main foyer to celebrate Kairi's birthday with his new girlfriend.

 ***** Author's Note: This prompt was given by QueenMickey. Her original idea was to have Riku and Hinata's first date; but I just couldn't do it without first writing about how they started dating. So this will work into the next one-shot, starting right at the beginning of their date.**

 **If you have any other ideas or prompts concerning Kingdom Hearts or any of my OCS, feel free to send me a message or comment! *****


	6. First Date

**First Date**

 **Prompt Given By: Queen Mickey**

 **Set Before the First Kingdom Hearts**

Riku nervously stood outside of Hinata's home about to knock on her front door to pick her up for their first date. He made sure to give her time to sleep in and get ready, but he had told her to be ready to spend the entire day together. Everything was planned, meticulously so in such a way that Riku had never done before. He wanted the day to go perfectly. Running his hand through his hair, he gulped and knocked on the front door. His palms began to sweat from nerves every moment he had to wait for the door to open.

Taking a deep breath, he whispered to himself. "Get yourself together. It's just a date."

He couldn't even begin to explain why he was acting so uneasy. He and Hinata were best friends, there was no reason he should be unsure of himself. Confidence began to slowly itch itself back into him as he reassured himself but it immediately vanished when the door slowly opened. His eyes widened when he saw Hinata standing in front of him. Her cheeks were flushed as she reluctantly opened the door and she kept her eyes averted while he looked her over. The usual long red locks of her hair were pinned up into an ornate bun behind her head; clipped up with a blue pearled hair piece. The same color of pearls created a simple necklace with a yellow star charm, resting right above a black shirt that fell off the shoulders but tightened around her forearms. Over the shirt was an incredibly frilly yellow dress-shirt that flowed down to her hips with a light blue ribbon tied around her waist. Under the ensemble were tight white capris and matching shoes.

"Um, hey." He eventually spoke up.

Hinata looked over at him quickly then darted her eyes away, her face flushing darker than it already was. "Hi..." She said after a moment of awkward silence.

"You look, different." He tried to break the tension.

With a groan, she planted her face in her hands, "Oh just say it; I look ridiculous!"

Riku gave a small laugh and rubbed the back of his neck, "No, I was just wondering how Kairi convinced you to wear that."

She put her hands down and looked defeated, "Is it that obvious?"

"Well yeah, you don't wear stuff like this." He pointed out.

Sighing, she admitted, "It was more Selphie than Kairi. Remember when everyone found out we were dating at Kairi's birthday party last week?" Waiting for a nod from Riku she continued, "Well, Selphie got all romantic about it and started going on about how I needed to dress up for you and then Kairi joined in. So they took me shopping and got me this." Looking down and distastefully holding out the edge of the bright yellow top she told him, "Selphie said it would be cute if we matched colors."

Riku looked down at his own outfit then back up at Hinata's, "They got the blue wrong."

Hinata scoffed and then laughed, "I told them that and they said it was close enough."

With a small smile he asked, "So why did you let them dress you up? You don't like this type of stuff."

Looking away she confessed quietly, "Well... I did sort of want this day to be special." Feeling more self-conscious by the second she turned around to walk away, "I'm going to go change."

Before she got more than two steps away, Riku reached out and grabbed her hand, "No wait! Don't, you look fine." He felt his face flush when Hinata stopped and looked back at him with a small smile. Pulling her back towards him he admitted, "I mean you look more than fine... but..." He took a deep breath and tried again, "Look, how about we just forget about this and start our date?"

Hinata smiled as she felt her insecurity melt away and agreed, "I'd like that."

"Good," He replied, waiting for Hinata to close the door before leading them down the front steps.

They walked in silence for the first few minutes as they left the neighborhood. The sky was dreary and shrouded the sun, giving the air a slight chill and breeze. The air had a feeling of dampness to it from the waves in the ocean turbulently crashing against the rocks of the island.

"It looks like there might be a storm today." Hinata noted, breaking the silence.

"I hope not," he replied. "Most of the things we're doing today are outdoors."

"So what are we doing today?" She asked.

Riku smirked, "You'll see."

"Oh fine," She nudged him with her shoulder, "Keep your secrets."

He chuckled softly in response as the butterflies in his stomach fluttered when Hinata brushed up against him. They continued to chat, Hinata occasionally trying to get him to spill details about the day planned. Riku continually glanced up at the sky as it gradually darkened with more clouds. He tried his best to ignore them and continue on with his plans; but couldn't shake the steadily sinking feeling inside that it was going to storm. Soon they reached the same ferry they rode the weekend before.

"We're going to Shima Island?" Hinata asked as they approached the ticket booth.

He simply nodded in response and bought the tickets before leading onto the boat. They stood together at the railing, feeling the rough waves hit the side of the vessel. As the ferry began sailing towards Shima Island, Hinata linked her arm with Riku's and leaned her head against his shoulder.

Hinata could hear his heart racing as she leaned against him and quietly asked, "Is this alright?"

Clearing his throat, he nodded, "Yeah, you can do whatever you want." His cheeks blushed when Hinata tightened her hands around his arm. He didn't know how she could have such an effect on him from such a simple touch.

They stood in silence for a couple minutes before Riku gained confidence and moved his arm that Hinata was holding, removing it from her grasp. She looked up at him with momentary confusion before he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. Hinata happily obliged and moved one of her arms behind his back.

"So you actually like this outfit on me?" She asked him once they were comfortable with their new position.

"Yeah, it's different but…" He slowly spoke, "You look nice in it."

Hinata looked up at him surprised and smiled when she noticed his flushed cheeks and averted eyes.

"You look nice in everything." He told her, closing his eyes with an inward groan after the words escaped. He was being a lot more open than he expected he would.

"Oh," It was her turn to blush. "Thank you." She looked back out at the ocean in front of them.

Riku glanced over at her beside him and was about to respond, but was stopped short when a water droplet fell on his cheek. With his free hand he wiped away the wetness and looked up at the sky as rain began to drizzle down. "Not today…" He grumbled under his breath. Removing his arm from Hinata, he grabbed the inside of her arm and tugged her away from the railing, "Come on, let's get under the cover, it's starting to rain."

She followed him to the ferry seating under the tarped covering that was over the rows of seats. People sat in the chairs, so they had to resign to standing at the edge of the covering. They watched as the drizzle quickly transformed into downpour; everyone squeezing together to attempt to stay dry.

"Hey…" Riku quietly spoke up as the boat neared port at Shima Island. "Maybe we should just call it a day and head back. This rain doesn't look like it's going to let up any time soon and everything I had planned was supposed to be outside."

Hinata quickly looked up at him with a small frown. She glanced around at the pouring rain while she thought it over and the ferry came to a stop at the wooden dock. Everyone around them quickly sped off the boat towards the strip mall to get to cover from the storm. As she watched them leave, the hint of smirk appeared on her face. Reaching her hand up to the bun behind her head, she began pulling out the pins holding it in place. Riku watched her in silent confusion, as her once styled hair began falling behind her back.

"What are you doing?" He finally asked her.

Pulling out the final pin and undoing the pearl clip, she freed the last bit of her hair letting it flow behind her. "You said I looked nice no matter what, right?" She asked him, her smirk more apparent.

"Y-yeah…" His cheeks warmed and he averted his eyes as he asked, "But what does that got to do with this?"

"Well then come on!" She laughed as she tightly grabbed his hand and immediately ran out into the downpour, dragging him behind her.

Riku let out a surprised yelp as he was pulled out from under the protection but made sure to keep up with Hinata. The raindrops quickly doused them as they sprinted off the ferry towards the strip mall right outside the dock. Hinata ran forward, unsure where they should go but she didn't stop her movements to allow herself the chance to figure it out. She spotted a building she had never entered and appeared mostly devoid of other people. Without thinking she went to it and opened the glass door; quickly pulling Riku inside.

"What was that about?" Riku exclaimed; pulling back his hand once they were out of the rain.

"I didn't want to just go home." She told him, breathless.

Riku was about to respond with a scolding but was too out of breath to say much.

Dripping wet, they both took a moment to regain their stamina before looking where they ended up. Bright colorful lights lined the vast room. Along one wall were various types of stuffed animals and toys hung up. Sunny-yellow signs were underneath them that read different numbers. The other end of the room was a small pizza restaurant fenced off by a short half-wall that looked to have tables facing a half circle stage with large red letters spelling out, 'Freddy Bear'. In between the pizza place and toys stood a large array of arcade games. Different jovial tunes of all the games ringed in the air mixing with the already loud upbeat music coming from the room's speakers.

"The arcade?" Riku eventually spoke up, the slight hint of discontent in his voice.

"Is that what this is?" She asked, still trying to catch her breath. "I just went into the first place I didn't recognize."

"Look, I get what you're trying to do; but let's just go home." He told her, agitation rising in his voice. He looked over at her and was surprised to find her braiding her soaking hair. The previous makeup she had been wearing just moments earlier was completely washed away only leaving faint black lines running from the corners of her eyes down her pale cheeks.

Hinata caught him staring and blushed slightly embarrassed. "I know I look pretty messed up; I'm working on it."

He gave her a small smile but didn't reply. He continued to watch as she finished braiding her hair and used the back of her palms to wipe away the drips of eyeliner and mascara that had rained on her cheeks. Reaching down, she grabbed the edge of her soaked dress-shirt that clung to her. With a sigh she peeled it up, pulling it over her head, leaving her in the black undershirt and white capris. Folding the drenched shirt, she placed her pile of pins and pearled clip inside of it, then placed the sopping fabric under her arm before looking back up at Riku with a satisfied smile.

"Now I feel more like myself." She gave a small chuckle.

Riku smiled back at first but then a crash of thunder from outside reminded him of the situation they were in. He glanced out at the ever growing intense storm outside and asked. "Alright, do you want to try going home?"

"You don't even want to consider staying here?" She asked with a huff.

"Do you really want to have our first date at this childish place?" He looked back at her with a frown.

Hinata glanced around at the arcade and replied, "What's so childish about it? It looks kind of fun." She went forward, towards a rectangular box with a large chair situated in front of it. Placing her hand on a small circular wheel in between the chair and the box, she asked, "Like… this thing. Are you supposed to play it?"

"What do you mean?" He asked completely boggled. "It's a racing game." He watched her examine the game for a moment before asking. "Wait… have you never been to an arcade before?"

She shook her head before admitting, "I don't think so. You think I would have remembered going to someplace like this back in my world." Looking away from the game, she asked, "How does this place work?"

Riku rubbed the back of his neck, his damp hair clinging to his skin. "Uh… you get these gold coins and use them to play all these games. Most of the games are for kids though."

"And what about those?" Hinata asked, moving away from the racing game and looking towards the rewards booth.

With a sigh, he walked up behind her and explained, "Some of the games you can win tickets. If you get enough tickets you win one of those prizes."

"Can we play some of the games?" She asked, turning towards him.

"You seriously…" He began to complain; but looking over at her, he noticed her golden eyes bright with excitement. The same excitement she got every time he showed her something new around the island. He tried to ignore the look in her eye and come up with an excuse to leave but the longer she waited the more his resolve chipped away. With an inward groan he resigned, "Alright, sure."

The smile that appeared on her face when she heard his answer made his heart jump with a small flutter. He smirked and looked out at the array of arcade games, trying to figure out which ones he wanted to show her. His thoughts were interrupted when Hinata approached him with a clear cup full of golden coins.

"Where did you get those?" He asked her, looking down at the small cup in her hands.

"I bought them." She told him, "These are the coins we need to play, right?"

"Yeah but…" A small frown appeared on his face, "I'm supposed to be the one paying for this."

"Well I know you don't really want to be here that much…" She admitted, "So I thought I would pay for this." Before Riku could respond, she grabbed his hand and began leading him back to the racing game. "Alright, teach me how to do this."

Riku rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the smile on his face as Hinata excitedly led him to the game. It was one of the fancier racing pieces with a large black seat with speakers beside the headrest. The wheel was made of realistic leather attached to a dashboard that sat in front of the curved screen showing demo runs of different racetracks through over the top scenarios.

He began explaining the basics of the game, having her sit down in the chair before showing her where to put her feet for the gas and brake of the virtual car. Hinata listened intently, asking questions as if there was going to be a pop quiz afterwards. When he felt that she was well enough prepared he got out two of the gold coins.

"Alright you ready?" He asked her, trying to hold back his snicker when she replied with a determined nod.

Once the coins were in the machine a loud fanfare played, startling Hinata. She went through the process of choosing the car and track with Riku's guidance and before she knew what was really happening the game had her at the starting line.

"Well, here goes nothing." She told herself, giving a nervous smile to Riku.

Riku let out a short laugh and reminded her, "You know this is just a game, right?"

"You say that now, but the moment you play this with me you're going to turn it into a high-stakes competition." She quipped back, giving him a smirk before averting her attention back to the game as the countdown to begin the race began.

He scoffed in response and muttered under his breath, "Will not."

The countdown on the screen reached zero and the cars beside Hinata sped off in the distance while her car stuck at the starting point. She flustered as she found the right pedal and finally pressed her foot down on it slowly inching her vehicle forward.

"Put your foot down!" Riku ordered her with a laugh.

Hinata did as she was told and startled when the car immediately roared to life; speeding down the twisting road that went through the jungle and running into every tree in her path. Riku became the backseat driver, occasionally taking the wheel from her to steer her in the right direction while telling her what to do.

"I'm not going to learn if you keep taking the wheel!" Hinata yelled at him, swatting him away as the other cars began lapping her.

"I wouldn't have to keep taking it if you would just stop running into everything" He replied bluntly trying to hold back his laughter.

"Well it's a little hard to concentrate with you ordering me around!" She argued; trying to figure out how to back out her car from the corner she drove herself into.

"Put the car in reverse…" He began telling her, reaching forward towards the stick shift before Hinata smacked his hand.

"I will figure it out," She told him adamantly.

Riku rubbed his hand and shook his head, "Well remind me to never buy you a car."

"Oh shut up," She scoffed with a short laugh. "I bet you weren't very good at this the first time you did it."

"I wasn't this bad," He told her, amused when Hinata gave him a glare.

She was about to respond but was interrupted when the game played a low sad tune and the screen lit up with the words, 'Last Place'. With a sigh, Hinata slumped back in her seat and glanced over at Riku. He was doing his best to keep in a fit of laughter with a large smirk was on his face.

Hinata rolled her eyes, "Alright, just say it."

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone do so horrible at this game!" He finally doubled over laughing.

"I want to try again." She told him, sitting up in her seat confidently.

Riku looked up in surprise, still snickering, "Seriously?"

"I'm going to figure it out," She reached forward and grabbed two more coins.

Wiping the corners of his eyes from his laughing fit, he sighed. "Alright, suit yourself." Reaching into the cup he grabbed himself two coins. "But I'm going to race with you this time and I'm not going to help you out."

"Good," She told him before mumbling, "I might be able to drive this time."

"I heard that." He noted, sitting in the seat beside her. "Alright, make sure to pick the same map as me so we can race together."

"Pick an easier track." She told him. "Preferably one without trees."

Riku nodded and set up the race on a simple circular track in a city. He glanced over at Hinata as the track loaded, smiling to himself when he saw the determined look in her eye over such a silly game.

Hinata noticed his stare and quickly glanced at him. "What?" She asked him, her voice serious as she looked back at the screen.

"Nothing…" He looked away before chuckling. "You're just being really cute."

She wrinkled her nose with a discontented look, "What?" She rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Oh please, stop trying to distract me. You're going to beat me no matter what."

"I'm being serious!" He defended, turning back to get ready to start the race as the countdown began.

His car sped off the moment the countdown reached zero darting side glances to Hinata's screen to see how she was faring. Without the obstacles in her path she was coping much better than her first run and was even able to make her way past a few other racers.

"Hey, you're doing pretty good." He commented to her, as he sped his way to first place. When she didn't respond, he looked over at her to see her eyes glued to the screen completely zoning him out. He momentarily forgot about the race and watched her determinedly learning the game with a small smile on his face.

"Why are you stopped?" Hinata asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Riku shook his head and turned back to his own screen, watching as Hinata and several other racers sped past him. "Oh great," He complained under his breath, pressing down on the acceleration to get back into the race.

With a blast of speed he easily regained his ranking, passing Hinata in the process. He quickly finished the race passing the finish line. His screen lit up with bright lights and a chiming fanfare blared through the speakers. He ignored the game's celebration and turned his attention to Hinata as she had momentarily lost her focus from the sudden noise and crashed into a wall. A groan escaped her as she looked around her dashboard for a way to back up.

"The stick shift…" Riku pointed.

Hinata scoffed and swatted her hand towards him. "You said you weren't going to help me!" She reminded him but reached her other hand around the stick, pulling it into reverse. Before she could get herself out of the collision the unfortunate notes once again played, alerting her that she had gotten last place and didn't finish the race. Groaning, she leaned back in her seat and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Maybe racing isn't for me." She admitted.

"You did better that time." Riku assured her, reaching over and placing his hand on her shoulder. "You even passed me once."

"Yeah, but only because your car stopped." She pointed out, glancing over at him. "Why did that happen anyways?"

"I-uh got distracted." He quickly told her, rubbing the back of his neck feeling that his once soaked hair was almost dry. "Did you want to try some of the other games before we leave?"

She perked up, "Yeah, I'd like that."

"We can keep playing this if you want."

"Maybe later," She shrugged, "I want to learn how the other games work."

Riku got up from his seat and glanced towards the glass windows that led outside. The storm had transformed into a full monsoon. At least two inches of water filled the roads and not a single person was seen outside. A frown appeared on his face as he realized that they were going to be stuck there for possibly the whole day. He looked away when Hinata came up beside him and grabbed his arm.

"Everything alright?" She asked him.

He sighed, "Uh… yeah. We might be stuck here a while."

Hinata looked outside and noticed the downpour. "Wow…" She replied, "I don't think I've ever seen it rain this bad here."

"Yeah," He agreed his frown growing.

"Let's not worry about it." Hinata assured him. "At least we got stuck in a place that can keep us busy. We'll just hang out here until the storm blows over."

He took a deep breath, "This really isn't how I wanted to spend our first date."

"I know," She admitted, "But I don't mind." Tugging on his arm, she said, "Now come on; let's find another game to play."

Reluctantly, Riku turned around and led Hinata to another game. His frustration soon melted away as he taught her different games, smiling when she would get serious and determined. A few of them came easily to Hinata and she even proved to be better at Riku with a couple. Her favorite ended up being a side scrolling fighting game, no surprise to Riku.

Hinata hit the finishing K.O on Riku's character, triumphantly pumping her fist in the air with a cheer. "Now the score is 5 to 0." She reminded him proudly with a sing-song voice.

Riku rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, I'm just a little rusty." He reached forward to grab another coin but was met with an empty cup.

"Oh… we're out." Hinata realized with disappointment.

"Alright, be right back." He told her, walking away before Hinata could ask where he was going. Within a couple minutes he returned with a large cup full or more coins. A grin appeared on his face when he saw Hinata's eyes light up. Holding up two coins, he asked, "Another round?"

"You're on!" She replied with a laugh.

He reached forward to insert the coins but suddenly the screen zapped to black. "Huh?" He asked, removing his hand from the machine. As he spoke the entire arcade followed suit, instantly powering down to leave them standing in a dark and silent room. Startled gasps and murmurs spread through the area from the workers and other patrons. Hinata reached over and grabbed Riku's hand to make sure he was beside her as only a very dim light from the gloomy storm outside shone through the windows.

"Did the power go out?" Hinata whispered.

"Well this is just great…" Riku grumbled beside her.

"Sorry everyone, just a small power outage; no need to panic" A grown man's voice called through the room, no doubt the arcade's manager. "We're lighting candles as we speak and are working on getting the power back. In the meantime, the pizza in the eating area is available for free; please excuse the inconvenience."

Hinata squeezed Riku's hand, "Well at least we can eat now. I'm starving."

"I'm just thankful you still seem to be having a good time." He admitted with a sigh, blinking his eyes rapidly as they adjusted to the darkness. Seeing enough to make out where the pizza parlor was located he led them towards it.

They entered the checkered eating area where lit candles sat in the center of each booth and table. Along the bar that led into the kitchen was a spread of different types of pizza where a small line of people and small children were already grabbing their own slices.

"Hey look, candlelight dinner." Hinata pointed out with a giggle.

Riku rubbed the bridge of his nose and griped, "This is just embarrassing…"

Hinata didn't reply but tightened her hand around his as they stood at the back of the line. Within a couple minutes they got their plates of food and found a somewhat secluded booth in the corner away from a majority of the other patrons. Riku sat across from Hinata with a scowl seemingly permanently on his face. He poked at his food, obviously upset with their predicament.

Hinata looked up from her food and reached forward for Riku's hand. "Hey…" She started to say.

Riku let out a huffed breath, "This is probably the worst possible first date. Nothing has gone like I planned it."

"That's not your fault though." She pointed out. "Besides, I've been having fun today."

"You're just saying that."

"No, I'm not." She defended. "Honestly I don't care what we do for our first date or any date for that matter." He glanced up at her as she continued. "Our dates don't have to be anything spectacular for either of us to have a good time. All I care about is being able to spend time with you, it doesn't matter what we do." Her cheeks flushed, "I… I really like you Riku and even though we're stuck in a blacked-out arcade eating cold pizza by candles… I'm still having a good time and…" She paused for a moment and let out a nervous laugh, "You can cut in at any time."

Riku chuckled in response and looked down at their clasped hands. "You really feel that way?"

"Of course I do." She admitted running her thumb along his wrist. "I'm not the type of person to hide how I feel. Plus you've seen me try to lie, it's painfully obvious."

"Yeah, it's pretty awful." He agreed, smirking when Hinata gave him a look. Averting his eyes, he told her. "But… thanks. I just really wanted today to be perfect."

"It is perfect." Hinata interrupted getting an unconvinced look from Riku. "We get to spend a whole day of uninterrupted time together. Usually when we try to spend time together Sora or Kairi interrupt it within the first few minutes. So in my mind this is probably the best date we could have gone on."

Riku slightly frowned with an unsure expression, "I get what you mean, but no... The day I had planned would have been better."

Hinata leaned her elbow on the table, "Well alright then, what did you have planned for today?"

He shook his head before telling her, "I'm going to save it until our next date. Then you can tell me which one you liked better."

"Alright fine." She resigned with a sigh, leaning back in her chair. "But I'm expecting it to be spectacular now."

With a chuckle he assured her, "It will be."

They continued to chat with each other while they began eating their pizza. Riku gradually relaxed again enjoying himself despite their circumstances. By the time they finished eating the arcade's power came back to life. Outside the storm was still growing in intensity so they decided to spend the coins Riku bought before the outage. At Hinata's insistence they played games that would allow them to win tickets and she proved to be rather competent at winning large amounts of tickets. By the time their coins were finally used up, their arms were stuffed with long strings of tickets.

A young male worker with tied back blue hair watched the couple as they brought up their mound of tickets to the prize counter. He sighed with relief that he was finally had something to do and stood from the stool he was lounging on. A large smile appeared on his face as they approached but he had to take a couple steps back as they unloaded the pile of tickets in front of him. He stared at the towering things, wondering where he was supposed to start.

"Well…" he started, peeking over the side to see Hinata excitedly waiting for his verdict on the amount. "It's going to take me a while to get all these counted; but you can probably get whatever you want. So go ahead and pick something out."

"See I told you," Riku told her, nudging her with his shoulder. "You'll be able to get what you were wanting."

Hinata nodded and pointed towards the very top of the prizes where a large plush panda bear was hung on the wall. "I would like the panda."

The worker pushed back some hair from his face and looked up at the panda that read the price tag of eight-hundred tickets. He nodded with a grin and told her, "About time someone got enough tickets to get him! Let me get some help with counting the tickets and I'll make sure you have enough."

As he walked away to grab some more workers, Riku commented, "I'm surprised out of all the things up there you want that stuffed animal. Since when are you into those things?"

Hinata shrugged without averting her gaze from the large animal. "Just stuck out to me." She took her eyes away from the bear and looked at Riku with a small smile. "Thank you teaching me how to play all the games."

He smiled back and looked over the games, "Yeah, it was nothing. I can't believe you've never been to an arcade before."

"I still don't quite understand what you find childish about this place." She told him. "I had a lot of fun here."

"That's because you didn't have to sit through a Freddy Bear performance." He replied a sense of distaste in his voice.

"Freddy Bear?" She repeated.

"You don't want to know," He assured her. "Hopefully with the storm and power outage they won't do it today."

As if to prove him wrong a loud playful voice came over the speakers, "All right kids! Gather around because it's time for Freddy Bear!"

Riku groaned in response and sighed, "Sorry about this."

"Oh I'm sure it's not that bad." She chuckled and took a couple steps forward to see the large stage clearer.

A few of the other patrons gathered around the half-circle stage as spotlights scanned the area. A dark red curtain parted ways to reveal an almost unsettling bear animatronic. A small black top hat was on top of the bright blue 'fur' and it looked at the audience with a large grin.

"Oh…" Hinata whispered, crossing her arms at the sight in front of her.

The bottom half of the bear's mouth opened and began speaking in a goofy voice, "Hey kids! Are you having fun?" A weak response of kids answering let him continue, "Well I tell you what, Freddy Bear has a whole lotta fun planned for you!" As the words left his mouth a loud and almost obnoxious song began playing and he sang for the audience.

Seeing enough Hinata slowly turned around and headed back to Riku, who stood with an annoyed scowl on his face. Once she was back at his side, she mumbled, "Never mind… it's bad."

Riku chuckled, "Yeah, I hate that bear."

The blue-haired worker returned with a couple other workers and they began counting through the pile of tickets. The annoying sound of Freddy Bear singing behind them even began wearing away at Hinata's patience and she was soon matching the scowl on Riku's face.

"Don't you get tired of hearing that bear sing?" Hinata asked the blue-haired worker.

"You have no idea…" He replied, but quickly went back to counting.

Within the next few minutes the tickets were counted, coming out to one-thousand. They gave Hinata the large panda bear plushy and Riku used the remaining tickets to get a couple bags of sour candies. Once they received their things and the workers dispersed, they made their way towards the exit of the arcade. The rain was still pouring down but wasn't as rough as it had been a couple hours earlier.

"Seems like it might finally be calming down." Hinata noted.

"Yeah," Riku agreed, glancing around to see what they should do next. "We probably shouldn't chance leaving yet though."

"Let's just sit and talk for a bit." Hinata offered, walking towards a half-wall that fenced off the entrance from the rest of the arcade. She slid down to sit, placing her extra clothes and stuffed bear beside her.

Riku reluctantly walked beside her and sat down, their arms brushing against each other. Leaning his head back against the wall he commented, "Well this has been… something."

Hinata smiled and leaned her head against Riku's shoulder. "I had fun. It will definitely be a good story to tell."

"That's true." He chuckled in response.

They sat in silence for a couple minutes, watching the rain pour outside and trying to ignore the Freddy Bear singing in the background. Eventually Hinata spoke up, "So here's a question, if we ever find a way to get off this island and explore; what type of world would you want to find?"

Riku thought about it for a moment before replying, "I'm not sure; anywhere other than here."

Hinata let out a short laugh as she lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him. "Oh come on, you've been dreaming about it for years. There has to be at least something you want to find."

Leaning one of his arms on his knee, he admitted, "I don't really know what's out there. I think that's what really interests me so much." He watched the rain drops outside splash into puddles on the sidewalk. "This island is just so small… there has to be more. I just don't know what."

She examined his thoughtful expression before moving her hand beside her over to his. As their hands met, Riku looked away from the rain to her and their eyes met. "We'll find out someday." She assured him quietly. "We know a little bit about what my world was like."

He gave her a small sad smile, "Yeah, but even with what you've told me about it I can't really imagine it." With a sigh, he looked back outside and confessed, "It just feels like the longer I'm stuck here the less I believe I'll ever get to leave. This island feels like a prison more than anything. Even you are stuck here and you aren't even from the island."

Hinata's eyes saddened and she glanced down at their clasped hands. "I'm glad I'm here though." She admitted with her voice so soft Riku could barely hear her over the loud sounds coming from the arcade. He looked over at her, watching her as she had her eyes downcast to their hands and her cheeks flushed. "If I hadn't come here I never would have met you."

She raised her gaze and met with Riku's bright turquoise eyes staring back at her, their faces only a few inches apart. Their faces warmed as they looked at each other and Hinata could've sworn she noticed his eyes glance towards her lips. Ever so slowly, Riku leaned towards her causing Hinata's heart to immediately race. Without thinking she began leaning towards him not sure what she was even doing. A loud crash of thunder from outside startled both of them and broke them out of their trance. They pulled apart and averted their gazes from each other. Riku closed his eyes with an inward groan that he had chickened out.

Clearing her throat uncomfortably, Hinata eventually spoke up, "It looks like we could probably head back now."

Riku opened one of his eyes to see that the rain outside was suddenly back in a drizzle. Taking a deep breath, he stood up. "Yeah, we better get going." He held out his hand for Hinata to help her stand and she took it with a small smile.

They remained holding hands as she held the stuffed bear and her extra clothes in her other arm. In silence they left the arcade and entered the wet outdoors. The rain was just in a drizzle but the ground was soaked and made both of their shoes soggy as they walked. They soon reached the ferry that was thankfully still running and took it back to the main island. Not a word was said between them as they got off the boat and headed towards Hinata's neighborhood. As they reached the familiar blue wooden home they noticed silhouettes of Sora and Kairi in the window.

"Looks like they're waiting for us." Hinata commented with a chuckle. "I wonder if Sora's was here the whole storm."

"Hey…" Riku finally spoke up and stopped walking. Hinata looked back at him and he darted his eyes away as his cheeks flushed. "About before… When we were waiting for the rain to stop, I almost, or we almost…" He cleared his throat nervously.

"We shouldn't force it." Hinata interrupted him, her own cheeks flushed when Riku looked over at her. "I-I mean… not that I would have minded if that was our first uh… you know." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "But… I think we should wait on it until we're comfortable with it." She forced herself to make eye contact with him. "Is that alright?"

He rubbed the back of his neck and nodded, "Uh, yeah. I think that's great."

Hinata smiled and then giggled, "I'm really looking forward to us not having to be nervous around each other."

Riku chuckled in response. "You and me both."

The front door to the house opened and caught their attention. Looking over they saw Sora and Kairi running out of the home towards them. Riku abruptly let go of Hinata's hand as they approached and stuck his hands into his pockets.

"There you are!" Sora exclaimed, running to Riku. "We were starting to get worried with the storm."

"So I take it things didn't go as planned?" Kairi asked, walking beside Hinata and looking her over. "What happened to your outfit?"

"The dress got soaked from the rain so I took it off." Hinata explained. "And my hair got ruined in the bun so I took it out and braided it so it wouldn't tangle too much… But yeah, things didn't exactly go like Riku planned it." She glanced over at Riku as he spoke with Sora. Their eyes met for a moment and he gave her a small smile. Hinata smiled back and told Kairi, "I had a great time though."

Kairi giggled, "You two are really cute together."

Hinata's cheeks flushed and she looked back to Kairi. "Cute? You think so?"

She nodded, "Yeah! It's not every day I get to see Riku acting so nervous." She giggled again, "He was so sweet when he picked you up this morning! I don't think I've ever seen that side of him before."

"Yeah," Hinata agreed thinking it over with a smile. "It's definitely different." She looked down at the bear in her arm and added, "By the way, I got this for you." She held out the panda bear for Kairi. As she took it from her, she added, "You put so much work into getting me ready this morning I wanted to thank you."

Kairi held the bear in her arms with a smile on her face. "Thanks! Where did you find him?"

"At the arcade." She answered.

"You got Riku to go to the arcade?" Kairi asked in near disbelief.

Hinata laughed, "Yeah, it wasn't really his choice. It was pouring by the time we got to Shima Island and he wanted to go home; but I sort of ran off into the strip mall and entered the first building I didn't recognize."

"It ended up being alright though." Riku added, walking up to the girls with Sora. "Could have done without that stupid bear though."

Kairi and Sora laughed in response, knowing exactly what Riku was referring to.

"It's still a little weird that you guys are together now. I didn't even realize you guys liked each other." Sora admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. "Are you going to be off every weekend now?"

Riku and Hinata looked at each other, seemingly asking each other the same question. Eventually Riku spoke up, "Probably not. I have to save up some more money for next time; so maybe just once a month or every couple weeks."

"Well good, I missed hanging out with you today Riku!" Sora exclaimed, placing his hands behind his head. "Oh, and you too Hinata."

Hinata scoffed, "Uh-huh, I'm sure you did."

They laughed together and then Kairi grabbed Sora's arm, pulling him back to the house. "We'll give you guys some privacy. See you inside!"

"What!" Sora objected, half-heartedly trying to pull away from Kairi's grasp. "They just had a whole day together!"

Hinata chuckled and Riku just shook his head as Kairi closed the door behind them. They stood in silence for a moment, feeling the drizzle of rain fall around them.

"Is it weird that we're dating?" Hinata broke the silence and referred to what Sora had said.

"I don't think so." Riku shrugged, "I think Sora is just clueless about it and probably a little jealous that we started dating before him and Kairi."

Hinata laughed, "Well if he would ever just tell her how he feels…"

"Yeah I know," He interrupted with a chuckle.

"I had a great time today." She changed the subject and turned towards him. Reaching forward, she grabbed his hands and momentarily looked down at them before adding. "I never knew being with someone could make me so happy." She glanced up at him saw his surprised expression. With a breathy laugh she noted, "There I go being forward again."

Riku nervously laughed, "No it's fine. I guess I'm just surprised is all." He paused for a moment before quietly confessing, "I… feel the same way. Pretty much everything went wrong today; but I still had a good time. And… I think it's because I was with you." Hinata smiled at him and his cheeks deeply flushed. "Well that and the fact that we got free pizza."

Hinata giggled in response and he smirked.

"So you want to try going on another date in a couple weeks?" He asked her. "I'll make sure to double-check the weather."

She chuckled and replied, "I'd love to."

"Well uh-cool." He smirked. "That wasn't too hard."

"Future reference, there is very slim chance I'll ever say no to spending time with you." She told him pulling on his hand, "Now come on, we better get inside before Sora starts yelling at us."

Riku laughed, "Yeah alright, let's go."

 ***** Author's Note: I had so much fun writing this. I've had their first date planned for months; but it was nice to finally get it written out.**

 **If you have any prompts or anything you would like to see me write pertaining to my OCS or Kingdom Hearts feel free to let me know!**

 **I'm going to be focusing more on writing my True Friends re-write right now; but when I get back to writing the short story/one-shots we'll be finding out what would have happened if Hinata DID join the Organization. (I'm really excited to write it out!)*****


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